Weeping Willow
by Carrie7
Summary: A mutant girl wakes up in a Seattle hospital, only to find that her mother was killed in a terrorist attack. She seeks out Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted, where she finds friendship and eventually love. Willow(OC)Kurt, a bit fluffy. COMPLETE
1. Ch 1

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Disclaimer: I own nothing but Willow, Jackie, and the four little girls at the end.

Author's Note: Alright, before you guys read this, I'd like to take the time to say that I have never read the comic books. It's also been quite a while since I've seen the show, but I really wanted to stick Gambit and Beast in here because it's just not X-men without them. I tried my best to do my homework and write them in character, but I may have made mistakes. If anyone has corrections on any of it or on Kurt's German, please tell me so I can fix it. Also, _italics_ mean thought or memory. Thank you! - Carrie

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter One *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The Swedish Hospital in Seattle had seen many burn victims, but none quite like the one that came in Thursday afternoon on November fourteenth. The girl that lay motionless in the uncomfortable hospital bed was like any normal girl; average height, average build, a pretty face, and pale skin. But she was also very different in many, many ways. 

Willowtree Stevens' eyes fluttered open. A bright light blinded her and she wondered for a second if she was dead. She could not move no matter how hard she tried. A few minutes passed slowly, and the feeling began to return to her body. She flexed the fingers of her right hand, but could not make a tight fist. She could feel the burn now. It felt like it engulfed the entire right side of her body. She found her voice and groaned in pain. She squinted her eyes and found that the blinding light from before was only sunlight from the window at her right. She could feel now how dry her mouth was. She must have been lying there with her mouth gaping for a while. Everything in the room was white and sterile looking. It wasn't very homey at all. She turned her head to the left and saw a large black woman in a baggy shirt and a pair of flowered pants. She was slumped in a chair, her hand pressing a thick romance novel to one of her large thighs in her sleep. Willow noticed a nametag that was clipped to her collar. She squinted and read off the name 'Yolanda' in her head. 

Willow noticed now how odd the room smelt. It smelled like disinfectant and maybe a hint of urine. A foreign place with foreign smells. Nothing was familiar. Nothing. Willow was now wide-awake and quite aware of just how bad her burns hurt. She could barely move without them burning unbearably. Involuntary tears slid down her cheek, and she gritted her teeth.

Yolanda woke up from her light sleep and was surprised to see her young patient awake. 

"Oh!" she cried, getting to her feet, sending her book sprawling across the floor. "Honey, you're awake!"

"Where is this?" groaned Willow.

"This is the Seattle Swedish Hospital," said Yolanda. The memory of what had happened began to flood her mind all over again. Her mother; dead. Her house; burned. Her flowers; gone. Flowers...what about flowers? Of course. Now she remembered. She was a mutant. She grew plants, all sorts of plants, wherever she wanted. Well, not _exactly_ wherever. At least wherever normal people were not. Normal people were cruel to her when they knew what she could do. Always cruel. Like her fifth grade teacher was cruel to her. Willow's mind was branded forever with the memory of Ms. Malloy. No matter how hard she had tried in the past, she could not forget.

_Willow had been growing flowers from a book out in the corner of the field. She wasn't bothering anybody. Except one. Her racist fifth grade teacher, who stomped out onto the field in rage towards the small mutant child. She grabbed Willow's arm and screamed at her for growing flowers. They were only flowers, but Ms. Malloy told her it was wrong and evil. Willow didn't understand how that was bad. There were kids around, and they were laughing. Ms. Malloy stomped one of her flowers flat into the dust. Pain shot through Willow's body. But Ms. Malloy didn't stop. Flower after flower, killed by her cruel black pumps while she whispered threatening things in Willow's ear even when Willow writhed on the ground in pain. The kids still laughed. They always laughed. Always...._

Her mother had gone in and retrieved Willow's school things before taking her home, away from school, where she was safe. Willow remembered how her mother had explained to her that because Willow had put so much energy into growing the flowers that when they were killed, a part of her died. Willow did not trust many people after that. Only her mother. Her mother was good to her. Her mother never laughed. She was always there to protect Willow from all things evil in the world. Like Ms. Malloy. But now she was gone. Willow felt very alone. And in this white, sanitary, uncomfortable hospital bed, Willow felt vulnerable and scared. Was Yolanda cruel? Were the doctors? Willow started to panic. A fresh wave of tears slid down her cheeks and she made sputtering noises.

"Oh, baby, don't cry!" cried Yolanda coming to the bedside and kneeling down. She held Willows hand and patted it. "You'll be alright!"

"I want to die," Willow muttered through her sobs. 

"Don't say things like that," said Yolanda. "Everything's gonna be okay." 

"No it won't! She was the only one left! Now she's gone, and... and..," Willow sobbed uncontrollably. 

"Shh...," Yolanda, stroking Willow's hair in a motherly way. "God knows I love everybody, no matter if they gay, straight, mutant or not. You don't gotta be sad. I'm here for you," Yolanda said gently. Willow stopped inhaling painfully, but the tears still streamed down her face, soaking her white hospital pillow. She didn't want all this to be happening. She didn't want it to be true. Yolanda sat with her for a few more minutes patting her hand and whispering comforting words to her until she was in a sort of sleepy daze. Her face was glistening with tears, and she couldn't catch her breath very well. A few doctors came in and applied some medicated cream to her side and leg.

"Are you awake?" asked one of the doctors. The words echoed in Willow's ears.

"Uhn...," Willow grunted through her silent sobs. 

"Can you tell me you name?" he asked. 

"Er...Willow Stuh-stevens," she said. Her sight was getting lazy and blurry. Hearing her name made fresh tears stream from her eyes. She missed her mother so much that it made her heart ache in her chest. She wanted her to come in and tell her it was okay, and that everything could be normal again. But Judith Stevens would never be there to comfort her daughter again.

"How old are you?" asked the doctor.

"Eighteen, I think," she muttered. Her head hurt, and her burns hurt worse. She felt as if she was on the verge of fainting.

"Do you have any family that we should contact?" he asked. Her head lolled lazily. Her vision gave out and she saw no more.

Willow woke up. She must have fallen completely asleep. No one was in her room this time. It was dark, probably the middle of the night. She felt alone. It was cold, even with blankets over her. She shut her eyes tight and tried to go back to sleep, but when she did, the haunting image of her mother's burning body floated into her mind, sending her into fits of terrible screams. The hospital disappeared, and in its place was the memory of the day before. 

__

"Die, mutants!" laughed a horribly demonic voice from the street in front of the Stevens home. Willow's head snapped up, a knot forming in her stomach. The lilac bush in front of her had stopped growing abruptly. She heard the tires squeal against the asphalt right before an explosion rocked the earth and blasted the air with heat. Willow was thrown to the ground, hard. She slowly picked herself up. To her horror, her house, her only sanctuary from the world and all the people that lived there, was in flames. 

"Mom!" she screamed. She ran towards the burning house and flung open the sliding glass door. She covered her eyes with her arm, shielding them from the inferno. "Mama?" she called again. The only response was the roaring of the flames. Willow looked around frantically. She saw a gaping hole in the front wall where the door and entryway used to be. The explosion had torn apart the small flight of stairs down to it and the hallway. Willow looked in the kitchen, but her mother wasn't there. Her heart pounded in her chest until it hurt. She knew she had to find her mother and get out before the flames devoured the entire house. She poked her head out of the kitchen and into the burning hallway. Lying motionless among the remains was her mother. Despite the flames lapping at the walls, Willow rushed to her mother's aid. "Mama, mama, wake up...," she said, rolling Judith's lifeless body over. Willow recoiled. The skin on her mother's face was scorched and blistered. She could smell Judith's burnt hair and skin. 

"No," she whispered, hot tears streaming down her face as she backed away. Rage boiled inside her. "No!" she screamed, her voice getting lost in the crackling of the fire around her. Her eyes glowed green, and outside the ground exploded with thick brambles and black berry bushes. They surrounded the house and grew furiously over the deck and burst through the windows, leaving shattered glass on the melting carpet. Willow stood up, livid and miserable at the same time. 

Outside, the brambles caught fire and began burning Willow from the inside out. Willow dropped to her knees in pain, her pupils disappearing into the neon glow. She recovered, gritting her teeth and got up to try and get out. She looked back where Judith lay dead and watched flames lick the ceiling and engulf her mother's body. The house was falling apart. Willow could hear pieces of it giving way and creaking. She stole one last glance into the hell that was once her home and then ran out the back door. 

The deck was in flames from the brambles. Most of them were dead, and the pain inside her was down to a bearable ache. She jumped over a line of fire in front of her, and when she landed, one of her feet punched through the hot, burning wood, scorching some of the skin on her left leg. She screamed in pain as the burn began to blister. She wrenched her leg up from the wood, carving bloody scratches into her calf. The flames had nearly engulfed the deck. She did the only thing she could think of and hurled herself through the wall of fire in front of her. She felt her eyebrows burn off and she could smell the ends of her long, green hair being singed. Her coat sleeve caught on fire also. She fell onto some burning grass and rolled head over heels into an untouched part of the backyard. She picked herself up off the ground and whipped the burning coat off of her. She checked her clothes for any other part that might be burning. The fire was creeping across the moist grass, so she mustered up the remainder of her strength and heaved herself over the back fence and into someone's yard. There she collapsed and fell unconscious. The glow died in her half shut eyes. Spreading out from her naturally green fingernails, mixed hues of green spread over her hands and up her arms, stopping just before her elbows and fading into her regular pale skin. As she lay there, the image of her mother's ruined face running over and over in her mind. 

Willow continued screaming, seeing her mother's body eaten and destroyed by flames again and again. All the potted plants in the hospital were suddenly overtaken by nettles, thick, thorny creepers, and ivy that climbed up the walls. Several patients woke up and yelled in fright. Doctors rushed into Willow's room to calm her down, but were slightly frightened when they saw her eyes glowing in the shadows of the dark room. They got her to stop screaming, but her whole body shook and tears soaked her cheeks. She could not get back to sleep. The door was left open, letting a sliver of white-ish yellow light stream through. Later that night, Willow could hear two male voices coming through the open door.

"And you're sure she's a mutant?" asked one of them as they got closer. They stopped and Willow could hear the rustling of papers.

"Positive," said the other. "Don't tell me you didn't see her skin, or hear about the plants. Whenever she gets upset her eyes start glowing. If that isn't a dead giveaway, I don't know what is."

"What are we going to do about that?" asked the first. Willow's blood ran cold. They were going to hurt her. That's what normal people always did whenever they knew. That's what happened at school. The kids in middle school hurt her almost every day. Now the doctors were at it, and her mother could not save her.

"What we do with all of our other patients. Help her the best we can and let her go."

"Go? Where? Her house was bombed for Christ's sake!" 

"Keep it down, people are trying to sleep," said the other sharply. The two men walked away, their footsteps and voices echoing off the white halls. Willow was shaking again. Maybe they _weren't_ going to hurt her. She would just have to wait and see.

In the morning her burns felt a little better, but not by much. They tried to feed her around noon, but she wouldn't eat. Willow was miserable and couldn't even swallow any water.

"Do you wanna watch some tv?" asked Yolanda, the nurse from before. 

"No," said Willow flatly.

"You know, honey, I was thinkin' to myself last night...see I heard of this place in New York where they take in special people like yourself. It's like a school. Maybe when you're all healed up you'd wanna take a look?" she said optimistically.

"I have no money to get to New York," sighed Willow. "I don't know how to get there either."

"Hmmm," mumbled Yolanda, a thoughtful sound made through the nose. "Well if you want to watch some TV, here's the remote. You gotta push the buttons real hard for it to flip the channels." She gave the remote to Willow, who took it gently. Yolanda left quietly and Willow was left to her own devices. She peered down at the fat plastic thing in her hand. She lifted her arm and pointed the remote towards the wall mounted TV set. She pressed the button with the on/off symbol on it. The TV was on channel five news. 

"Earlier this week, the residents of a Seattle neighborhood were shaken by an explosion when an anti-mutant terrorist group attacked one of the families living there. Thirty-eight year old Judith Stevens was killed in the fire that engulfed the house. Her daughter miraculously escaped, however, and is now being treated for first-degree burns. She is expected to recover rapidly, but will remain in the hospital for up to a week. The terrorists have yet to be caught or turned in, but most of Seattle will be keeping their eyes open," said the reporter from a helicopter as it circled around the charred remains of her house. 

Willow turned off the TV with a shaking hand and turned over, rubbing her burned leg painfully on the sheets. She winced and relaxed. She had no idea that the news was all over her story, that everyone knew before she was even sure of what happened herself. Now millions knew about her. Another week in the hospital. Then what? Where would she go? Her mother was dead. Her grandparents were dead. Her father was alive, but had removed himself from her life, taking her grandparents on his side with him. Her mother and father were both only children. No aunts, no uncles. No where to go.

As the week slowly sauntered by, Willow's burns began to heal faster. They didn't hurt as much as they had before, and mostly all that was left of them were shiny pink scars. The biggest one was on her calf, which was a thick, patchy scar that was probably six inches in diameter. The deep scrapes where the broken deck had raked her skin were beginning to form scars. Long, thick ones. The burn on her side wasn't nearly as large as the one on her leg, but it was still red and swollen. Sometimes it bled. She was getting better sleep, though the image of her mother's burning body was still the main topic of her nightmares. She was able to suppress her screams most of the time, but when she couldn't, there were people to help her. She got up more often on her own for things like trips to the bathroom and after a while, taking walks around the hospital. When she took walks, the other patients watcher her. Some with fear, and some with hatred. One afternoon, she got a total of three glares. When she got back, she decided to investigate. She walked into the bathroom that was in her room. She looked in the mirror to find out what they were afraid of. She was shocked to see several physical changes to her appearance. Her eyes had turned grass green with spiky yellowish highlights towards the centers. They used to be brown. The black lashes were almost twice as long as they used to be. It looked very strange. Her hair was still forest green, but seemed a little more like foliage than it did human hair. Every time she moved, she saw new green highlights and darker green shadows. It had also grown a couple more inches. Her nails were still the same color as her hair, but now she noticed the skin on her forearms, and wondered why she never noticed it before. Her lips had also turned the color of healthy grass.

"No wonder they're scared of me," muttered Willow sadly. She hated what she saw in the mirror. 

"Willow?" called a voice from the door. "You in here, honey?"

"In the bathroom," she said quietly. She was beginning to trust Yolanda. She had never once been mean to Willow. She only told her nice things about how things were going to get better.

"What's the matter?" asked Yolanda, her happy, round face poking into the bathroom.

"I don't want to be here anymore. I frighten people," said Willow miserably.

"Don't worry. You just got a few more days, and then you'll be free. Come on over here, I have something to show you," she said. Willow followed her into the main part of the room. Willow sat down on the bed and Yolanda pushed the chair in the corner to the bed. She sat down and extracted a wad of money from her breast pocket. "Here," she said. "I had a talk with my husband last night, and I told him about you. How you have no where to go. So we decided that we could spare a few hundred dollars." Willow shook her head and opened her mouth to object, but Yolanda cut her off. "Now don't you complain. We're doin' something for you that probably no one else these days will. Take it," she said, "and hide it. I could get fired for this." Willow reluctantly took the bills. Yolanda smiled warmly. "I see great things in your future, and I don't want anyone to keep you from that. You hear me? Don't ever let no body tell you that you can't. I got faith in you, child," she said as she brought Willow in for a tight embrace. Willow returned the hug by patting her only friend on the back and smiling. "I got faith in you. Listen, I got more to tell you before-" Just then a doctor came in. Willow's stomach did a flip. She slipped the money in her underwear against the outside of her leg. Hopefully no one would find it there. 

"Mrs. Washington, will you please excuse us?" said the doctor. 

"Of course," said Yolanda. She pushed the chair back into the corner and flashed a quick smile before she left the room. 

"Now," said the doctor as he slipped on a pair of reading glasses and shuffled through as stack of paper that was pinned to a clipboard. "You have shown some tremendous improvement, Miss Stevens. I'm prepared to let you leave as soon as tomorrow, or Friday. Does that sound alright?" 

"I suppose so," said Willow.

"Mrs. Washington tells me you have distant relatives over in...," he said, trailing off a bit as he flipped through the paper on the clipboard. "Westchester New York?" he asked as he looked at her above his spectacles. It took a moment before Willow's brain processed what was happening.

"Er...yes, that's right," said Willow a bit too quickly. Yolanda hadn't been able to tell her about this part, but Willow thought that maybe if she listened to more of the story, she would learn enough to guide her.

"And you'll be taking a bus, won't you?" asked the doctor.

"That was the plan," said Willow slowly. Even though her tone sounded less than convincing, the doctor excepted this with a nod.

"Alright. I wouldn't want to send you out into the world with no where to go," he said with a slightly fake chuckle. "Well, I'll come back in later with the last of your burn treatment." He nodded to her once before he left. _Westchester New York,_ Willow thought. _I guess the first thing to do with this money is buy a map. And a bus ticket. Maybe finding this school isn't such a bad idea._

Willow got the last of her treatment, and she was allowed to leave Thursday evening. Yolanda had been nice enough to buy Willow some clothes the day before, as well as a few other helpful items like a flashlight, wallet, water bottle, a few sandwiches that were wrapped in foil, and a can of heavy-duty pepper spray. On Thursday just before Willow left, Yolanda gave her these things in a large cloth bag that had a long strap.

"The pepper spray is in case any one bothers you," said Yolanda. "I put my address in the wallet so that you can write me letters once you get settled, and I expect you to. Here. Why don't you put some of these clothes on." Willow picked up the pile of clothes and headed into the bathroom. She took off her hospital gown for the last time and put on the clothes. A pair of jeans, a black turtleneck shirt that clung to her torso almost uncomfortably, and a thin, dark gray jacket with light gray pinstripes. 

"I had to shop at the second hand store for this. I got money from the hospital, but it wasn't much. I washed the clothes, though. I hope they'll be alright," said Yolanda through the bathroom door.

"They're fine. I like pinstripes," said Willow. She straightened the coat and put the bag over her head and hung it on one shoulder so that it rested on the opposite hip. She came out of the bathroom and gave Yolanda a shaky smile. Yolanda smiled with tears in her eyes. 

"I'm gonna miss you, you know," she said, trapping Willow in a tight embrace. "You're an angel trapped in a girl's body, you know." Willow sighed and gave Yolanda one last smile.

"Thank you," said Willow.

"Don't you dare forget to write," said Yolanda sternly.

"I won't," said Willow. She sighed again. "See you later, I guess."

"Bye, honey," said Yolanda. Willow walked through the halls of the Hospital no longer one of its patients, but a free person on a mission: to get to New York.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

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Hey, guys. I hope you didn't think that first chapter was too slow. I was sorta worried about that after I wrote it. I'm sorry about the messed up indenting, my computer won't let me change it. I hope you like it so far. For all the Gambit fans, he's in the next chapter. I hope you like it!


	2. Ch 2

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Disclaimer: I still own only my characters.

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Two *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Willow checked out of the Hospital and stepped out its front doors. She walked across the parking lot avoiding cars and wheelchairs. She emerged on the sidewalk in front of the street, which was packed with cars in the deepening dusk. She was a little scared, and she didn't quite know where to start. All she knew was to accomplish her goal, which was to get to that school.

She walked around the dark, noisy, streets of Seattle for a while, trying to think of what to do first. She decided that it was better if she sat down and tried to figure out a game plan. She found a piece of curb under a street lamp and sat down. She opened the bag that Yolanda had given her and dug through it. She opened the wallet and stuck the money in it. She had counted it earlier and found that she had almost three hundred dollars. She put it in the wallet where she found Yolanda's address and a small, but thick folded paper. She unfolded it and found that it was a United States map. Westchester County was highlighted and off to the side was the address of the school along with a number. _Thank you God for someone like Yolanda,_ Willow thought. She had a long way to go. New York was about as far away as you could get from Washington. She found a phone booth and looked up the Greyhound Bus Station. When she found it, she looked up the address. She'd be walking all night, and if there's one thing any intelligent Seattle dweller knows, it's that you don't walk around there at night. She looked up a cab number, called it, and arranged for a cab to take her there. She waited by the phone booth for almost a half an hour before the yellow cab pulled up. The driver almost glared at her. He had a turban and a hooked nose with a sort of Hitler mustache under it.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked in a grumpy, Indian accent. 

"Uh huh," said Willow, opening the back door and throwing her stuff inside. She sat down and buckled her seatbelt. 

"Where are we going?" asked the cabby.

"To the Greyhound Station, please," said Willow. 

"Do you know how much that is going to cost?" asked the cabby.

"I don't care," said Willow. She wondered what his problem was.

"Alright," he said with a shrug as he drove away from the curb and out into traffic jerkily. The cabby reached over and turned on the radio. It was some sort of news station.

"In other news around the country, a substantial portion of Las Vegas is out of power tonight after a massive energy surge. Not only are the lights out, but all the bulbs are broken too. It may take weeks to get the lights back on. The strip has been unaffected, which has business owners heaving collective sighs of relief. There are no reports on what might have caused such a blackout, but specialists say that this is no natural occurrence and that it may be the work of an unknown mutant. Rallies will most certainly be intensified after a display such as this," the reported said.

"Damned mutants! They cause so much trouble!" cried the cabby.

"Not so much. Plus, you only hear about the bad things," said Willow defensively.

"Well I don't really mind them as long as if they ride in my cab_, they pay the fair_!" he said, looking at her through the rear view mirror. Willow quickly looked down at her feet and hoped that he didn't decide to wrap the car around a tree or something. She looked up once during the ride at the clock, which read 7:43. The Greyhound Station would be open still. At least she hoped. 

"That's 17.60," said the cabby ten minutes later as he parked at the curb with a jerk. Willow gave him a twenty and he gave her the change before she got out. The cab's wheels screamed as it leapt out into traffic again. She looked up at the bus station and could smell diesel from the curb. She walked up cautiously and opened the door. Inside, it smelled like cigarettes and more diesel gasoline. She got in line at the ticket office behind a man in a long light brown trench coat and sunglasses. He had a shock of auburn hair and his face was rough with stubble. He wore a dark blue head band and blue gloves that only completely covered his two middle fingers. He looked down at her from the edges of his sunglasses and grinned slowly. 

"Where're you goin'?" he asked, his voice made suave by a Cajun accent.

"New York," Willow said slowly, wondering why someone like him was talking to her.

"The school?" he asked, turning around, raising one eyebrow in question, looking over the top of his glasses. Willow could see why he wore them. His eyes were ruby red, and the parts that were supposed to be white were black. No normal person had eyes like that.

"How did you know?" asked Willow suspiciously, frowning slightly. She didn't know whether to trust this man or not. It was hard to tell with most people.

"Lucky guess, I s'pose," he said with a grin. "I've always been lucky." Willow said nothing. She just looked at him in the eyes with a straight face. She didn't know if she liked this man very much, even if he was a mutant. He held up his hands in playful defense, though his expression remained that of a permanent, suave grin. There was something about him that made Willow's stomach feel like it was full of butterflies.

"Next please," said the woman at the desk. The man turned back around.

"Round trip to Chicago, please," he said. 

"Sign these," said the woman giving him a few forms. He signed them quickly with a particularly loopy signature.

"There y'are," he said. She entered a few things into a computer, and it spit out a ticket in front of her. 

"Here you are. 49.99. Thank you. Next please!" she said, cutting off the man's thank you. Willow walked up to the counter. 

"Where to?" asked the woman.

"Albany, New York, please." said Willow.

"Th' school i'nt in Albany, if I hear right," the man whispered in her ear.

"Shh, I know," said Willow, turning around to his grinning face. "Can't you just...go sit down, or something?" She found him nearly annoying. He gave her a wink and went to sit down in one of the seats in the office. He put his arms around the two seats next to him and crossed his legs. Willow rolled her eyes.

"The only one we got to Albany isn't round trip. First it goes to Chicago, then to Albany. Boston's afterwards, but I suppose you don't care about that," she drawled.

"It's alright, as long as it goes to New York," said Willow.

"Sign these," said the woman, sliding a form in front of her. "You are eighteen, aren't you?" asked the woman with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. My house burned down last week, so I don't have any identification," said Willow. That was all she could say. If she tried it again, she'd start crying. The woman nodded gravely. Willow looked over the form, but didn't really read it. She signed the bottom and gave it back to the woman. 

"That'll be 60.00 even," she said. Willow winced. She'd already spent almost eighty dollars and she wasn't even out of Seattle yet. She handed the woman the money, who stuck it in a cash register. Willow's ticket popped out of the slot in front of the woman. She extracted it and gave it to Willow. 

"Thank-," 

"Next!" cried the woman. Willow was quite flustered that she didn't even let her say thank you. She turned to go sit down and the man was still sitting the same way he had been. Willow sighed and sat as far away from him as possible. She turned her back to him and waited to be called to board the bus. She could feel his eyes boring into her back. _Don't turn around, it'll only encourage him,_ she told herself. She watched the large, lit clock until it was eight-fifteen.

"Chicago, Albany, and Boston," said the voice over the intercom. "Please proceed to the loading area. Give any non-carry-on luggage to the man at the door and it will be put on the bus. Goodnight, and have a good trip." Willow got up and walked towards the loading area quickly. She showed the driver her ticket and she walked to the back of the bus. She got comfortable and buckled her seat belt as the other passengers boarded the bus. _Oh no..._, Willow thought with a groan. She saw an auburn head above the rest of the passengers. When he saw her he smiled.

"We meet again," he said.

"I've got pepper spray in here, you know," she said, motioning to her pack.

"Y'mean this pepper spray?" he asked, holding up the can. Willow's jaw dropped.

"That's mine!" she cried. 

"I was gonna give it back, chere, don't be mad. I knew dat I'd be seein' you again," he said giving in back to her. She snatched it away and stuffed it in her bag with a scowl. He smiled and chuckled. "You act like you bein' harassed," he said as he sat down next to her.

"I _am_ being harassed," she said, trying to scoot closer to the window. 

"Nah, if I wanted t'harrass you, I'da done it by now," he said with a broad grin. "Besides, talkin' ain't quite harrassin' in my personal opinion." Willow stayed silent. "By de way, I forgot to give you my name," he said. "Remy LeBeau. Most call me Gambit."

"Others might call you slimy," said Willow.

"Hey, now, lots o' women would pay big bucks for me to sit by 'em. What's your name, anyway?" he asked.

"Willow," she said bluntly. 

"A beautiful name for a beautiful face," he said with a grin.

"Look, I'm only eighteen, and I think you're much too old to be hitting on me," said Willow in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Can't help it, chere, dat's de way I am," he said. "Did your mother teach you t'be so blunt with people?"

"My mother is dead," said Willow looking down into her lap. 

"I see," he said. "I'm sorry I even went bringin' it up. If it isn't too much, how long ago was it?"

"Last week," said Willow quietly. She would not cry in front of someone like him. She hated crying in front of anyone. It made her feel like a baby.

"Alright, folks, this is your driver speaking. I hope you're ready for a long ride, because we've got a good twenty eight hours between us and Chicago," said the driver. Willow groaned. Twenty-eight long hours until Remy LeBeau/Gambit would be gone. "There are bathrooms located at the rear of the bus, and we'll only be stopping twice between here and Illinois. Each stop will be a half an hour which you may use to buy food and or drink. You may take your refreshments onto the bus if you're very careful and do not spill. Thank you for your patience, and we'll get under way." The bus began to move and its passengers began to chat and visit with each other. The uncomfortable silence between Willow and Remy was becoming unbearable, and Willow was beginning to feel sorry for all the things she had said to him. It ate away at her four a few minutes, but she felt odd apologizing.

"I really am sorry about your mother," he said, looking down at her behind his sunglasses.

"It's alright. I'm sorry that I haven't been very nice to you. I guess if we're gonna be on a bus together for a day and some odd hours, we oughta be pleasant to each other," said Willow. "I hate to be mean to people, I really do. But I never have any luck with people I don't know."

"Truce?" he asked holding out his hand.

"Yeah, okay," said Willow with half a smile as she shook his hand. He had a firm but gentle grip. The butterflies took flight again.

"So," he said. "What is it you do?"

"I grow things," said Willow, her tone of voice a little lighter and friendlier.

"Grow things...," Gambit repeated slowly with a raised eyebrow.

"Like plants," said Willow.

"Ah," said Remy with a nod. "You look like a plant growin' type, what with th' greenish brownish hands. I bet dat come in handy."

"It doesn't. Not really," said Willow. "So far all it's done is mess everything up."

"Yeah, well, you prolly find some kinda use for it one'a these days," he said.

"Yeah," muttered Willow. "Well, I'm kinda sleepy. I just got out of the hospital, so I should probably rest a little bit."

"What were y'in the hospital for?" asked Gambit.

"Burns. My house was burned down," Willow told him. He put two and two together.

"I bet you were th' one dat got attacked by da anti-mutant terrorists," he said nodding. "I heard about dat on de evenin'news a while ago."

"Yes," she said quietly. She shifted her weight around in the seat until she was comfortable. "G'night."

"S'you tomorrow," Remy said with one of his suave grins. Willow closed her eyes and tried her best to fall asleep without nightmares. Willow woke up once during the night when Remy's head hit her shoulder in his sleep. He didn't wake, even though his cheek was smashed against her shoulder. His hair had fallen onto her neck, so she shifted it so it wouldn't tickle her. She thought several times of waking him up, and had an impulse or two of shoving him off her, but she let him sleep there until he rolled over in his seat again. 

Willow woke up the next morning, a little groggy and intensely hungry. She got up and went to the bathroom, edging past a still sleeping Remy LeBeau. When she came back he was awake and greeted her with a large yawn. She sat back down and pulled her bag out from under the seat. She opened it and pulled out one of the sandwiches Yolanda had packed her. 

"You gonna share dat?" asked Remy.

"What'll you give me for it?" asked Willow with a mischievous grin.

"Will a little bit of Remy do da job?" he asked smiling sweetly at her.

"I don't think so," she said, playing with him a little bit. She ripped the sandwich in half and gave on of the pieces to him. 

"Your generosity disgusts me," he said as he took a large bite out of the sandwich.

"Yeah, well, I like your face," said Willow.

"Most women do," he said through a mouthful of roast beef. He swallowed loudly. "You seem nicer dis morning. I think you jus' needed a little sleep."

"Probably so," said Willow. 

"I can't blame y'for bein' cranky. You been through quite a bit for so young," said Remy.

"Well thank you for your sympathy," Willow said almost sarcastically. 

"I think you need a little sympathy," he said. "Or a little Remy, whichever happens t'come first," he teased.

"Hmm, denied," joked Willow. He grinned. 

"Maybe you _do_ have a sense a'humor," he said. "I don't think dis bus ride's gonna be so bad." Willow noticed that she really _had_ been joking around and even feeling better. She was actually smiling. Maybe life could get better. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought. 

The day passed along slowly, and the bus stopped once at noon. Remy and Willow found a gas station where he bought some chocolate Hostess doughnuts, beef jerky, and a coke.

"You want anyt'ing, chere?" he asked.

"No, I'm good," she said.

"No?" he asked. "Not even a drink? I noticed dat you didn't have any water or anything in dat pack of yours."

"I guess you would know, diggin' around in there on the sly," Willow said with a grin.

"Seriously," Gambit said.

"Don't spend your money on me," said Willow sternly.

"Fine, I'm gonna jus' pick somethin' for you," he said looking through the drinks. He opened the door and picked out an iced tea. "I hope you like dis stuff." He paid for the food and they returned to the bus. He ended up sharing his doughnuts and jerky with her. The bus bumped along for another ten hours in which Willow and Remy exchanged stories of funny things that had happened to them, and even about their pasts. Willow was not at all surprised to hear that Remy had been a thief as a child, but she felt sorry for him. He seemed to really hate all the things he had done. She felt reluctant to do so, but when she thought back on sixth grade, she decided to tell him about the sorts of things that used to happen to her.

__

"Get her! Get her!" cried the laughing children around them. Two eighth grade girls were staring Willow down viciously as they circled her. One moved in and ripped her backpack from her shoulders, sending it skidding across the floor. Willow's face contorted with fury. One of the girls had long nails, and lashed out at her with them, ripping Willow's skin open. Dark red blood dripped onto the tiled floor. The other joined in, knocking her to the ground, pulling out chunks of green hair. Willow was having a hard time fighting back at all with two of them. She was overwhelmed with fear, pain, and anger. She couldn't take it anymore. She had no idea how it happened or what came over her, but suddenly, she struck one of them in the nose with the palm of her hand. The girl recoiled as Willow managed to send the other one sprawling on the floor with a painful kick to the back of the head. When both of them were off her, she leapt up onto her feet from lying on her back. She looked down them, eyes glaring and glowing a neon green, her hands balled into fists. 

"Never touch me again," she said to them. They looked up at her, one bleeding, the other holding the back of her head looking dazed. Both bore expressions of absolute terror. Her eyes returned to brown just as three teachers ran to the scene. She had broken the one girl's nose, and the other had a concussion. Willow was expelled.

When Willow told him about her grade school years, he seemed angry.

"You're too nice a girl to be treated like dat," he told her. 

"Yeah. I was home schooled for the rest of that year. I tried Middle School for a couple months, but I came home too often with bruises and split lips," Willow explained.

"Eh, I bet those little punks didn' know what da hell dey were dealin' wit. I bet you'll grow up, find a nice guy, have kids. Beat all doze little punks at life. You'll have one'a those good lives dat er'yone else wishes dey had."

"I hope so," said Willow. "But right now it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, you know?" Gambit nodded, completely understanding.

The bus arrived at Chicago early Saturday morning. Willow found herself almost in tears to see Remy leave. He had been an excellent, amusing companion to her, and she didn't much want to go the rest of the way without him.

"Don't you cry for me, chere, I'm not worth it," he said as he got up. He smiled at her and held her chin between his index finger and thumb. "You stay strong like you been doin'. Maybe you'll see ol' Remy again sometime." She nodded with a smile as he ruffled her hair. He reached into his trench coat pocket and pulled out her can of pepper spray. "You might need dis now," he said tossing it to her playfully. She hadn't even noticed that it was gone. She grinned sadly and held onto it. He stepped out into the isle and got in line with the rest of the passengers as they filed off the bus. Willow flattened the hair that Remy had ruffled askew as she watched him go. He got off the bus and stood out of the way. The bus's doors closed up and the wheels began to turn again. Willow watched out the window and made eye contact with Remy LeBeau for the last time as he watched the bus leave the station. 

****

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

How was that for Gambit? Please tell me if I got his accent and mannerisms right! The next chapter mark's Kurt's entrance.


	3. Ch 3

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Three *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was a long, quiet, boring ride after that. Willow mostly tried to sleep, but during one of the pit stops, she broke down and bought two word find books and a pen. She did them all day and through most of the night. She finished one of the books by three on Sunday morning. She pressed her forehead against the window as she watched the sun rise at about six. She had a lot of time to think. She missed her mother in the lonely quiet of the early morning hours. She missed Yolanda and the way she fawned over Willow. She also missed Remy and his innuendoes. She smiled thinking about him and wondered what he went to Chicago for. She wished she would have asked him. She wondered if everyone's friends left their lives as often and quick as Willow's friends did. It made her a little sad, but she liked thinking back on all of them. Wondering about the mysteries of friendship and watching the sun climb lazily over the horizon made her eyelids droop. She was fast asleep just before the bus passed the 'Welcome to New York' sign on the side of the highway. 

Willow woke up at around four in the afternoon. She was hungry again, and in desperate need of relieving herself. She waited in a short line for the tiny bathroom, which was not at all pleasant by the time she got to it. She came out and dug through her pack only to find that she had already eaten all the sandwiches. She sighed and looked up. The bus seemed to be strangely devoid of passengers. She could have sworn there were more before she went to sleep. She shrugged it off and got out the other word find. She circled word after word until the bus came to a slow stop.

"Everyone off for Boston," called the driver. 

"Boston?" cried Willow in a panic. She chucked the pen and the book into her bag and rushed towards the front of the bus. "What about Albany?" she asked the driver. 

"We passed it at about eleven this morning," he said. A sinking feeling formed in Willow's stomach as she was herded off the bus with the rest of the passengers. She watched in shock as the bus shut it's doors and drove away, leaving a trail of black exhaust in its wake. 

"What am I going to do in _Boston_?" she asked herself quietly. She got out of the way of the people walking around the station and sat down on a planter. She got out the wallet and extracted the map. She found Boston, Massachusetts on it and noticed that she had gone only one state too far. "Boston," whispered Willow in disgust. "What's even _in_ Boston?" She truly didn't know. She put the map away and flung the bag over one shoulder. She got up and began to wander. She hardly looked ahead of her. She was too busy staring at the skyscrapers and interesting shops. She bumped into several people who shot nasty looks at her. She decided to look where she was going more. "I don't really know where I am, so I can't really get lost," she muttered logically to herself at one point. Her stomach had been bothering her for the past hour and a half. She hadn't eaten anything all day. She walked around until she found an expectable eating establishment. She opened the door of Subway and the fresh smell of cold cuts and bread drew her inside. She went up to the counter. 

"Hi, can I have a BLT and a large soda, please?" she asked. Her stomach was killing her. 

"Sure. Do you want anything else on your sandwich?" asked the girl behind the counter. Willow felt very odd talking to someone that was her age. She hadn't done it in a very long time. Maybe the girl didn't notice Willow's abnormally long lashes and wild eyes. Just about anyone could have green hair and green lips.

"Just bacon, lettuce and tomatoes," said Willow in a quiet voice. "And a little mayonnaise and mustard." The girl handed her a cup. Willow went around to the pop dispenser where she put in ice and Mr. Pibb. "Oh, can you not put so much lettuce on there? I know back in Seattle they stick like five pounds of lettuce on there," Willow called over to the girl as she snapped a plastic lid on her pop. She punched a straw through the top and took a long drink. The carbonation burned the back of her throat a little. 

"Oh, sure, I hate that too," she said. She took off some lettuce and wrapped up her sandwich. "You want a bag of chips?" 

"Sure," said Willow happily. 

"They're over there on that rack," said the girl, pointing to the chip rack with a plastic gloved hand. 

"Thanks," said Willow snagging a bag of chips off the rack.

"That'll be 4.50, please," she said. Willow dug the wallet out of her bag. "So you're from Seattle?"

"Yeah," said Willow, struggling with the wallet. "I'm sorry," she said as she set the bag up on the counter and got out the money. 

"It's alright. I always wanted to see Seattle," said the girl in a dreamy voice. "What's it like?"

"Not much different from any other city. Except it's got the Space Needle and Safeco Field," said Willow as she went through her money in search of a five. 

"So why're you here?" asked the girl. "On vacation?"

"Not exactly," said Willow giving the five-dollar bill to the girl. The girl went to take the money, but recoiled.

"What's wrong with your hands?" she asked, backing away slightly.

"There's nothing wrong with them!" said Willow in defense, feeling offended and hurt. She was getting tired of people saying things like that to her.

"But they're kinda green and brown...you're not a mutant, are you?" she asked, fear spreading over her face.

"Yes I am. Here, take it," said Willow, grabbing the girl's hand and shoving the bill into it. 

"I don't want to cause any trouble," said the girl.

"Look, I don't wanna fight, I just want some food," said Willow angrily. She grabbed her sandwich off the tray. "Keep the change." She left the Subway in an even worst mood than she was in before. The sun was starting to set and it was starting to get colder outside. The traffic on the street was still heavy, and people still milled about the sidewalks. The thin little pin stripped jacket didn't do much against the evening chill. She found another planter to sit on while she ate her sandwich and drank her pop. After she finished and she had a full stomach, she threw away her trash in a trashcan and wandered around some more. She needed to find a place to stay for the night. Somewhere cheap. After a half an hour more of wandering, she found a small hotel. She went inside and walked up to the front desk. She clutched the edge of the counter with her fingers. 

"Hi, can I have a room for the night?" she asked. The man at the desk looked down at her hands and then back up to her face. He examined her green lips and neon green-yellow eyes. 

"We don't serve...your kind, miss," he said.

"What?" she asked, taken aback by his remark.

"There are no rooms for mutants in this hotel. Please leave," he said firmly and rather loudly, making all the patrons in the lobby stare. Willow's cheeks went red. She walked out of the hotel with her head down, tears filling her eyes. She'd had it. Life had slipped down into hell again; just when she thought it was getting better. She wished she wouldn't have stayed awake until six in the morning. If she had gone to bed at a normal time, she would have been in New York a good seven hours ago. If she'd gone there in the first place, she might be warm and welcomed inside that school by now. But instead she was in Boston, Massachusetts and surrounded by snobby hotel clerks and frightened sandwich artists. She felt unwanted and insignificant. Once again she had no where to go.

She whipped the tears from her eyes angrily with one sleeve. _You are such a baby, Willow,_ she told herself. _Things could be worse...though I don't see how..._

The streetlights flickered on, and the areas around them were suddenly thick with shadow. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and started walking aimlessly, cursing her mutation. Why could she be like her mother and only have green hair and fingernails? Why did she have to have green arms and lips too? And those crazy eyes...She didn't care at the moment. All she cared about was that it was dark, cold, and lonely out on the street and she needed to find somewhere to stay. Away from normal people. 

She wandered around for a while, becoming more and more nervous as the neighborhood became seedier. She could hear people lurking in alleyways and the occasional siren sounded in the background. Her heart skipped a beat when she actually heard a gunshot and a blood curdling scream about a block behind her. She bit her lip and clutched at the strap of her bag for comfort as she continued on her blind journey in the dark.

The temperature had dropped dramatically by the time she came by the old church. It was huge and crammed between two tall buildings. The concrete exterior was covered with graffiti and ivy. The once beautiful stained glass windows were now dingy and broken. Despite its rough exterior, the sight of it was comforting. The wind that rustled through the leaves of the tree outside the church felt like frozen whips lashing across Willow's cheeks as she approached the doors. She could see a soft, flickering light from within the church. Candles. If there was someone in there, they were bound to let her stay. It _was _a church, after all. You couldn't exactly tell people to get out of a church. She opened one of the large wooden doors a crack and poked her head inside.

"Hello?" she called softly. She opened the door more and stepped inside. A single candle was lit in the front of the church. Deep shadows hid most of the church from view. Statues of the Virgin Mary and crucified Jesus stood in the front of the church. The alter was pushed against a wall and had brightly colored cloth on it. Posters were stuck all around the altar, but Willow couldn't see what they said. The pews and even parts of the walls were covered with plastic, and the whole place looked ransacked. Dead, dried leaves littered the stone floor, obviously blown in by the harsh autumn wind. Graffiti was on the inside walls as well, and Willow wondered why anyone would tag a church. "Anyone in here?" she asked quietly. 

Suddenly the quiet atmosphere around her exploded in echoing words spoken by a male voice. It was definitely not English. It seemed to be all around her, coming from different places all at the same time. She looked around frantically up in the rafters for the source of the voice. She had not noticed that she had been backing into a corner until her back hit the wall. She slid down it and cowered there in fear. Her eyes glowed green a little, making her look even more distressed. The voice stopped as soon as it started. Willow looked up to try and see who or what had made that awful noise. Suddenly, with a cloud of dark blue, curling smoke, a man appeared before her. She jumped in fright. His skin matched the color of the fleeting smoke he had created upon his arrival. His hair was a deep indigo, and his eyes were yellow. He had three fingers on each hand, two toes on each bare foot, and a long, devil-like tail that swayed behind him. He was dressed in a black turtleneck shirt under a brown zip-up vest. He wore a light brown coat over that, and had a pair of wild pants with pink and orange vertical stripes and a thin, shiny stripe down the side of the leg. He also had a dark red rosary wrapped around his waist twice, where a crude, sliver cross hung. Despite his unusual appearance, Willow was more worried about other things. A strange man in a church in the slummy part of town could not be a good thing. Willow had no idea what he might do to her, and she wasn't sure if she could defend herself against him. She was amazed when he looked down at her with pity, apology practically spilling from his eyes. Someone dangerous could not make such an expression. Willow became considerably less scared of him.

"Wei heißen sei?" he asked softy, his voice rough, but curious. Willow stared up at him, her lower lip trembling still. 

"Huh?" she squeaked.

"Wei heißen sei?" he asked.

"I don't understand," she said. 

"You don't speak German?" he asked, his voice heavy with the accent.

"No, not at all," she said.

"Vat's your name?" he asked. "I'm sorry. Zat's vat I said before."

"Willow Stevens," she said. She blinked the glow out of her eyes. "Who are you?"

"Kurt Vagner," he said triumphantly. "But in ze Munich Circus, I vas known as ze Incredible Nightcrawler." He crouched and looked at her in the eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I just...you just scared the bejesus out of me, and...," she started to say. Her voice cracked and she began to cry. The day had been far too much for her to handle. She was so close to New York, only a state too far, but her money was running low, and she had hardly any hope of getting there now.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I sought you vere a normal person...people are frightened of me, and zey abuse ze church, so ven zey come in here, I scare zem avay. Zey are not vorthy of zis place. Zey judge too much by skin and appearance."

"Yes they do," said Willow with a sniffle. She rolled back one sleeve and showed him the green skin that covered her arm. He touched it with a curious look on his face. Butterflies took flight in her stomach. He recoiled and smiled slightly, perhaps embarrassed of what he had just done. Her cheeks turned a little pink and she rolled her sleeve down. A shaky half grin etched itself crudely on her green lips.

"Vat brought you here?" he asked.

"I missed my bus stop in New York, and I ended up here in Boston. I tried to rent a hotel room, but they didn't let me," she said, tears recollecting in her eyes. "And I'm running out of money, and it's actually really scary around here," she said. "I'm sorry, I'm being a huge baby..." He patted her on the shoulder a little, trying his best to comfort her.

"Ohhh," he sort of whispered. She felt a little uncomfortable with someone she didn't know touching her and her muscles tensed up. Kurt felt this and withdrew his arm, sure that it was because of the way he looked. After all, that's how it always went. He looked into her eyes sincerely. "It's alright now. God vill alvays have room in his house for you," he said. "And he vill always be zer for za people who have lost zeir vay."

"Will you let me stay?" asked Willow, a hopeful edge to her voice.

"Vell I can't really srow you out of a church. Ze Lord opens his arms to everyone. Even me," he said a little sadly. A brief distant expression took over his face. He stood up from his crouching position and held a three-fingered hand out to her. She took it without question and he helped her up. "Ver vas it you said you had to go?" he asked.

"New York," said Willow.

"Ah. How ver you planning to get zer?" he asked. 

"I don't know," she said, bending down and picking up her bag.

"I'll help you sink of somesing," said Kurt as he walked to the front of the church and Willow followed. There was a sort of step down between where the priest stood and the main floor. He sat down and motioned for her to do the same.

"I thought about hitchhiking, but now I'm not sure if that's such a great idea," she said once she was comfortable.

"No," he agreed with a shake of his head. "You have your feelings right on your sleeves. People take advantage of zat, you know."

"Maybe I'll take the bus," she said half joking. They sat in silence for a moment.

"I might be able to take you some of za vey," he said. "But I don't know how far."

"How do you mean?" she asked, not quite understanding what he meant. He suddenly disappeared with a curling cloud of dark blue smoke that smelled strongly of brimstone. She coughed and looked around for him, wondering where he had gone. Just as suddenly as he had gone, he appeared on the other side of her with a similar cloud.

"Like zat," he said. 

"Can you carry someone with you?" asked Willow. She was beginning to feel better. Maybe she would get to New York after all. 

"Yes, but it takes so much more energy...I don't know if I could even get you outside Massachusetts," he said. "I vould probably have to rest a few days before coming back anyvay."

"Don't bother, then. It's too much trouble," said Willow. "I don't want you to hurt yourself, or anything."

"I vould really like to help you, but...I just don't know if I could do it," he said. He seemed upset that he wasn't powerful enough to get her to where she wanted to go.

"If you're not sure, then it's not worth it," said Willow. 

"I'll try to sink of somesing different," he said. Kurt made Willow feel strange. She hardly knew him, and yet he was trying desperately to help her. He looked curiously into her eyes. "Such sadness I see in your eyes," he said sympathetically. "Vat has happened to you?" Willow felt uncomfortable and looked down at her feet. 

"I uh...," she said, fighting off tears. She shook her head. "Not now. I can't...," she said, choking on her words. _NO MORE CRYING!_ She mentally shouted.

"It's alright," he said. Kurt watched as Willow's cheeks grew red as she fought the tears in her eyes. He cocked his head to the side a little. "Ver in New York do you need to go?" he asked.

"Westchester," she said pulling out the map from her bag. She unfolded it over her lap and pointed to the highlighted area. "There's a school there that only teaches mutants. I need to get there as soon as possible," said Willow. 

"Zat's not _too_ far," said Kurt optimistically. "But maybe too far for me to carry you. If...if I took a lot of breaks, maybe...," he said, trailing off thoughtfully. "But I don't know ver ve vould stay."

"I'd sleep outside," said Willow looking at him with pleading eyes. "Anything. I need to get there. I have no where else to go." Kurt looked into Willow's eyes as he made a hard decision. It might have been inner strength, or divine intervention. Either way he sighed.

"I vill try my best to get you to New York. If I turned my back on you, I vould need many more of dese," he said as he traced a finger over the curling tattoos on his face. Willow looked closer, marveling over how intricate and beautiful they were. "Van for every sin," said Kurt. He sighed again. "Sleep tonight. In za morning, ve'll figure out vat to do." 

"Thank you," said Willow quietly. "I'll repay you someday."

"No need for zat," said Kurt with a hint of a smile. "I'm sorry, zer are no beds in here. I sometimes sleep there, on ze altar. It isn't very comfortable, but it's better zan za floor. You can sleep zer if you vant," he said. His apologetic nature and sympathetic voice continued to stun her. He was so much different than anyone she had ever met.

"Oh, I don't want to steal your spot," Willow said hastily.

"No, no, please," he said. "I have many spots. I'll just sleep somevere else." She reluctantly walked over and lifted herself onto the altar. "I'm sorry zat it is not a bed."

"It's alright. I haven't slept in a real bed for a long time anyway. I mean, there was the bed in the Hospital, but that wasn't very comfortable at all," she said, her voice trailing off into inaudible mumbling. She curled up and tried to get comfortable. She looked at the posters that were taped to the wall. They had pictures of a cartoon blue devil with horns and goat-like hooves hanging from a trapeze. He had a sinister smile and two yellow, glaring eyes. The posters had slogans like 'Der Munich Zirkus vorstellen die Incredible Nightcrawler!' and 'Der Erstaunich Blau Dämon!' Kurt crouched up in the rafters, watching her looking at his posters.

"What do they say?" asked Willow, he voice echoing off the church walls.

"Ze first one says, 'Ze Munich Circus presents Ze Incredible Nightcrawler,' and ze other says 'Ze Amazing Blue Demon,'" Kurt replied. Willow nodded. _Demon...that's not at all flattering,_ she thought. 

"Are these pictures supposed to be you?" asked Willow looking over her shoulder at the shadow in the rafters.

"Yes," Kurt said.

"They're not very realistic," she said flatly examining them again. 

"You don't think so?" he asked curiously.

"Not at all," Willow said. "He looks so evil." 

"So do I," Kurt said.

"That's not true," Willow told him. He gave no reply. She sighed and closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Kurt continued to watch her. The girl that lay curled up on his altar seemed so innocent, and yet she held a sort of sadness behind her eyes. He could sense that she was very alone. Even while she slept, her face was disturbed with haunting memories that she could not share with him. He sighed and sat down, propping himself up against a wooden beam. _That's not true..._, Willow's voice echoed in his mind. Kurt shook his head a little, dismissing what she had said. It was a silly thing to say anyway. He wrapped his tail around the beam he was sitting on. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. He took one last look at Willow before he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. 

Willow woke up the next morning with one leg hanging off the side of the altar. She straightened up only to find that she had a tremendous cramp in her back. She winced in pain as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make sense out of it. With a cloud of dark blue smoke, Kurt Wagner appeared in front of her, making her jump. She sighed with a grin, chuckling at herself for being so jumpy.

"Hello," he said. "Did you sleep vell?"

"Well, sort of," she said. She got to her feet and stretched. Kurt cocked his head to one side as he watched her. 

"Are you ready to go to New York?" he asked, an optimistic look on his face.

"Sure. Are you?" asked Willow.

"Zis is as good a time as any. I promise to get you zer," he said with a note of determination. 

"Maybe we should mark out a route on the map," said Willow. She knelt down and dug through her bag. She took out the map and unfolded it. "So Westchester is right here," said Willow tapping her index finger on the map. "And we're here. Connecticut's sort of in the way, so maybe we could cut through."

"Zat sounds like a good plan. I'm a big fan of shortcuts," said Kurt. "Ready?" he asked. She put the map back in her bag and clipped it shut. She flung it over her shoulder and took a deep breath. She nodded firmly. She was finally going to New York. He wrapped his arms around her and shut his eyes. Suddenly the church was gone. Willow's hair was whipped back and she had to close her eyes to shield them from the thick, smoky air that buffeted them. It stopped, and Willow looked up. They were on top of a skyscraper. As soon as she saw the cars below, the skyscraper was gone too. A Freeway lamp. A building roof. Inside someone's car. An apartment balcony. An overhanging sign above a Freeway. After almost twenty minutes of this, Willow was beginning to feel sick. Her eyes started to roll into the back of her head. The horrible smell of brimstone whenever they disappeared was making it hard to breathe. She began to grow limp in Kurt's arms. When they appeared next, he knelt down and set her gently on the ground. She groaned and coughed.

"Villow," he said. She didn't look up at him. "Villow, are you alright?" He held her up with one arm and tapped her cheek slightly with one hand. _Oh, no I've killed her! _He thought frantically. "_Weide_, say somesing!" 

"Where are we?" she grunted. 

"On top of a building," he said, relieved to see that she was all right.

"I mean _where_ are we?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Stay here, I'll find out," he said. He propped her up until she was sitting on her own, then he disappeared. He was gone for about two minutes, in which time Willow was allowed to recover. Her head stopped spinning, and the fresh air made her less nauseous. When he returned, he sat down next to her, panting slightly. "Ve're in a town call Vebster," he said. Willow undid the clasp of her bag and took out the map.

"Webster," she whispered, her eyes scanning the state of Massachusetts. Finally she found Webster, a small town almost directly on the border of Massachusetts and Connecticut. "Wow!" she cried. "Look where we are!" When she didn't get an immediate answer, she turned around to find Kurt curled in a ball, sleeping. She smiled fondly at him and folded up the map. He exhausted himself for her. It was an interesting feeling. She lay back, using her bag as a pillow, and watched the sky above her churn with light gray clouds. She remembered how she used to fall asleep after growing things for too long. 

_"Look, my love. We're in the paper again," said Judith to her small daughter, holding up a newspaper clipping with a picture of both of them smiling. They were sitting on a bench under a flowering cherry tree, enjoying the cool shade and each other's company. They were surrounded by flowers of all kinds that were swaying gently in the spring breeze. Judith had made the garden by herself. She was an artist who used plants instead of paints. She had the power to grow any kind of plant anywhere she wanted where there was soil. Judith was a mutant. She was well known around Seattle as the Plant Lady and had appeared in the Seattle Times on several occasions, but never without her five-year-old daughter, Willow. _

"Are we famous?" asked Willow. 

"A little bit," said Judith with an almost worried expression. She quickly covered it with a smile. "Not everyone appreciates my art."

"I do, I think it's pretty," said Willow with a big grin on her pudgy little cheeks.

"I know you do. Do you want to try?" asked Judith.

"Can I?" asked Willow, taken aback by the offer.

"Of course you can. I knew you could a couple months after you were born. When your hair came in a beautiful forest green just like mine," said Judith. 

"And nails?" asked Willow with excitement, sticking out her hands and wiggling her fingers which were tipped with nails the same color as her hair.

"And nails," Judith agreed with a fond chuckle, taking her daughters hands and kissing them lovingly.

"How do I do it?" asked Willow. Judith lifted Willow off her lap and onto the ground. They both knelt by a free patch of soil in one of the flowerbeds.

"Think of a flower that you think is pretty," said Judith. Willow thought for a moment.

"What about a tulip?" asked Willow.

"A tulip will do just fine. Now can you see it in your head?" asked Judith, watching her daughter thinking.

"Uh huh," Willow said. "I can see it, mommy."

"Good. Now put your hand out like this," she said, waving her hand over the earth. Willow copied her. "Now you concentrate. You see the tulip in your head, and pull it out of the ground. Watch," she said. She moved her hand as if she were picking something up with her fingertips. A stem grew out of the ground with a green bud on the end. Shortly after, two thick leaves unfurled and the bud on the end opened, revealing soft scarlet petals. Willow had watched her mother many times before, but never as intently as this. "You have to feel it grow, and want it to. Alright?"

"Okay," said Willow, a little nervous.

"You try now," said Judith softly. Willow concentrated and saw her tulip in her head. She made the same movement as her mother had seconds before. She wanted it to grow so badly that she could actually feel some of her energy escaping her hand. As she pulled upward, a stem came up with a bud on the end. The leaves unfolded and the bud slowly opened. The petals were baby pink, her favorite color. Willow's tulip was petite, much smaller than Judith's was, but it was a tulip all the same. Willow shouted with laughter and joy. She grew three more of the same size and color before she collapsed into her mother's arms. Judith smiled fondly. She's tired herself out, the poor thing_, she thought as she picked Willow up and carried her into the house. She climbed the stairs and set Willow down in her bed. _

"Mommy?" groaned Willow in a small voice just before Judith closed the door. 

"Yes, love?" asked Judith.

"I did it, didn't I?" 

"You did indeed. But rest now. We'll grow some more things tomorrow," she said, but Willow had fallen asleep before Judith could finish her sentence.

She smiled slightly, happy to remember her mother that way. She could hear Kurt snoring lightly as she waited for him to wake up. She smiled as she watched him sleep. He was something new, that was for sure. He made her feel...she didn't really know how he made her feel. All she really could say was that she'd never met someone quite like Kurt Wagner.

A couple hours passed, and Willow was having a hard time ignoring her growling stomach. She thought about waking him up and having him transfer her to the ground so that she could find something for them to eat, but didn't want to disturb him. 

Kurt slept on for another hour and a half before he woke up. Willow was happy to see him awake. She felt emaciated. 

"Guten tag," he said.

"Hi," Willow replied. He looked a little sleepy, but his yellow eyes were still alert.

"How long have I been sleeping?" he asked.

"About three hours," Willow answered.

"Sree hours?" he cried in distress. "I'm sorry for leaving you to yourself for so long. How rude of me."

"Rude? You haven't been at all rude!" said Willow, grinning in disbelief. "This is one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me." He grinned sheepishly. Willow sighed. "I dunno about you, but I'm starving. Why don't you teleport me down there and I'll find something to eat." He embraced her and the building was gone. They were suddenly between two buildings. He broke away from her.

"Vill you be alright by yourself?" he asked.

"I think so," she sighed.

"I'll vatch you in case you need help," Kurt assured her. 

"Thank you," said Willow. Kurt watched her go out to the sidewalk. When she was no longer in sight, he teleported to the top of a shorter building so that he could see her again. 

Willow walked down the sidewalk. She was confident now, knowing that there was someone looking out for her. She looked around, and saw up the main drag a Jack in the Box. She quickened her pace, driven by the hunger in her stomach. She could almost feel Kurt watching her. When she got there, she opened the door and stepped inside. She pulled the black sleeves of her turtleneck shirt over her hands as much as possible. She stood in line for a couple minutes before she was able to order.

"Um...okay, can I have two number ones with coke on both of those?" asked Willow. She was nervous, facing a normal human face to face. 

"That'll be 8.99, please," said the woman behind the counter. Willow extracted ten dollars and gave it to her. "Cool contacts," remarked the woman. Willow didn't know what she meant for a second.

"Oh, yeah," said Willow. Her eyes did look a little unnatural with their thick yellow ring around the pupil. 

"Where'd you get 'em?" asked the woman.

"Er...I got them for my birthday," Willow lied. "I dunno where my mom bought them."

"I've always wanted weird eyes. I wouldn't go for greenish-yellow, though. I'd want purple," she said. "I thought maybe if you could tell me where you got them, I could check it out."

"Keep looking," said Willow casually with a shrug. She waited for a few minutes before her order was stuffed into a bag and given to her. Willow exited Jack in the Box amazed that she got out of there without any trouble. Maybe there was some hope for her to lead a relatively normal life after all. She saw Kurt for a split second before he teleported out of the ally way across the street. She walked over to the back of Jack in the Box where she was quickly snatched up into his arms and taken back to the building top they had rested on earlier. He set her down and squatted there next to her. She sat down and opened the bag. 

"Here you go," she said as she handed Kurt a cheeseburger and a little bag of fries. "And this is for you too," she added, giving him his soda. He looked as if he didn't know what it was or even what to do with it.

"I didn't know you ver going to buy me anysing," he said quietly.

"Did you really think I was gonna let you starve?" asked Willow, a little offended. He looked a little sheepish, but said nothing. 

"I haven't eaten fast food in...vell, I guess I've never eaten fast food," said Kurt.

"That's horrible. And un-American," said Willow.

"Vell I'm _not_ American," he pointed out. He took a small cautious bite of his burger. The look on his face was quite comical. Willow could tell he liked it a lot.

"In my book, if you live here, you're American," Willow told him through her fries.

"Zis is really good," he said through an enormous mouthful of cheeseburger and a grin. "Sank you, _Weide_."

"Why do you call me that?" she asked curiously.

"It's German for Villow. I just hate to make such a nice name sound ugly vis my accent," he said after he swallowed. 

"Ah. Your welcome...for the food, I mean," she said with a smile. "How do you say 'you're welcome' in German?" she asked.

"Bitte schön," he replied.

"Well, bitte schön, then," Willow said, trying her best to imitate how he said it. He seemed happy, or maybe even flattered that she was attempting to speak his language. "I still need to take some foreign language before I'm 'educated.' Maybe I'll learn German."

"It's not easy," he warned her.

"English is harder, I've heard. I'm sure I'll manage," said Willow. 

They contemplated whether or not to keep traveling that night or to call it quits. Day light was failing quickly, but Kurt insisted that he was up for another round of teleporting. Willow secured her bag once more, and Kurt wrapped his arms around her. This time, though, they only traveled for about ten minutes. They turned up in Connecticut, but it was dark, and both of them were tired. They decided to figure out where exactly they were in the morning. They were surrounded by a thick patch of bushes on a grassy hill beside a freeway. Kurt was stumbling with exhaustion.

"Stand back for a minute," Willow said. Kurt stood off to the side and Willow knelt down on her knees. She concentrated and focused her thoughts on the ground beneath them. Her eyes glowed green as she moved her hands over the thin grass. A thick mat of soft moss grew all over the ground. Kurt was totally awake after seeing this occur. He felt the ground in amazement. "Maybe that'll be a little more comfortable to sleep on," said Willow.

"Danke," said Kurt. 

"Bitte schön," Willow said with a grin, blinking the glow out of her eyes. Willow set her bag down and used it for a pillow. The late November air stung her skin and the freeway was still noisy with cars, so it was hard to sleep. She lay awake, staring at the patches of stars that shown clear through the cloud cover. Kurt was snoring softly again, and for some reason it made her feel comfortable and peaceful. He was something else.

****

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Alright, I think I better clear something up before everyone gets all confused. The correct pronunciation of the German word _Weide_ is "vy-duh." Just so you know….


	4. Ch 4

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Four *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

In the morning, they set off again. The brimstone smell wasn't bothering Willow like it had been the previous day. They stopped twice to eat, and a few times to let Kurt sleep. The further they went, the more tired Kurt seemed to become. He tried not to show it by fighting off sleep. He was still determined to get her to New York. By the end of the day, they were just outside of New York. They stopped in a park where they would stay for the night. Upon appearing, Kurt collapsed in a dead faint and almost knocked Willow over. She held him up for a second, then carefully set him on the ground where he lay spread eagle, completely asleep. She wished he would stop straining for her. Trying so hard couldn't possibly be good for him. Even though she felt sorry for Kurt, she was also becoming very excited. Tomorrow could very well be the day that she found the school. No more sleeping outside, no more running, no more being scared. 

By the time they reached Carmel, (a city in Putnam, the county directly above Westchester) Kurt had to take a break every time he teleported.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes only half open as he sat down with a thump on the ground. His breathing had been hard all that day. 

"We need to stop for today," said Willow firmly. 

"No," said Kurt. "Ve're so close...I can't fail you now." 

"You look terrible. I won't let you," she said. He took a deep breath and frowned slightly. He picked up her bag and thrust it at her. She caught it with both hands and he leaned forward and put his arms around her. The ally way was gone. For ten minutes they teleported. Ten solid minutes of building roofs, trees, parks, bridges, and over passes. When they reappeared for more than a second, Kurt fell over, completely exhausted. They were in a small patch of trees near a road. 

"Look, Kurt, if you don't stop you'll kill yourself!" cried Willow. She hated how intent he was on helping her.

"I promised zat I'd get you to ze school," Kurt panted. Sweat hung on his forehead in beads. 

"Here, I've got a phone number, I'm sure they'll come get us," Willow said, digging around in her pack.

"Not me," Kurt said. "Ven zey come, I'll go."

"You'll never make it back to Boston like that," Willow told him. "Please come with me."

"Sank you for caring so much, but I don't vant to be a burden. I could probably make it if I rested for a few days and vent back by myself," Kurt said. He was falling asleep again. "Don't vorry, _Weide_...," he said quietly, his eyes closing.

"You need real sleep. Like in a bed with sheets and pillows. I'm going to find a pay phone," said Willow. She got up from Kurt's side and made her way out of the trees. She looked around for a second. There was a bank across the street on the corner of an intersection. Outside was an ATM machine and a phone. She waited until there was a break in the steady stream of cars and ran across the road. She picked up the receiver and put in thirty cents. She looked at the number on the side of the map and dialed slowly. Her heart began beating faster once it rang on the other end. 

"Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted," answered a woman's voice.

"Er...hi, my name's Willow, and me and my friend have been trying to get to your school, but he's ill, and I don't know where to find it, and I can't leave him here," she babbled quickly.

"Do you know where you are? Can you see any street signs?" asked the woman.

"Um...," she said as she looked around. "I'm at the intersection of twelfth and ninety-second."

"That's not far at all," she said kindly. "I'll send someone to pick you up."

"Okay. Tell them I have green hair. That's how they'll know it's me," said Willow, an excited edge to her voice. 

"Alright. I'll probably see you soon," said the woman.

"Bye, and thank you so much!" cried Willow. They disconnected. Willow was glad that they weren't far away because the clouds over head looked about ready to downpour on them. She got back to the bushes but found that Kurt was no longer there. Her heart skipped a beat. He had taken the pen out of her bag and wrote shakily on one of the word find book's pages 'Auf wiedersehen. Viel glük.' She had no idea what that meant, but felt horrible. Now he was somewhere probably dying because of her. She didn't even get to thank him. 

"Kurt!" she shouted, hoping she could get him to come back if he was anywhere nearby. Passerby looked at her oddly. "Kurt!" she shouted again, but she knew he was gone. _This must be how friendships are,_ she thought sadly. She took up her things and sat out on the curb, waiting for the school people to find her. She felt hot tears well up in her eyes. She missed Kurt already. He was such a good person. _Quit being such a baby, Willow. You should know by now that people never stay, _she thought to herself angrily. Large drops of cold rain began to pummel her. Soon, her clothes had soaked all the way through, and she was beginning to shiver. Long, soaking chunks of green hair stuck to her shoulders and face. She could see her breath in front of her face. 

After nearly a half an hour of waiting, a car pulled up to the curb. She looked up at the driver. He had a handsome face and was wearing a pair of red tinted sunglasses. He smiled at her and got out. 

"Willow?" he asked.

"Uh huh," she said as she got to her feet.

"I'm Scott Summers from the school...Jean said you had a friend with you?" he asked slowly.

"He left," said Willow sadly. "He helped me get here, but he didn't want to come to the school to rest...he can teleport, and he wore himself out getting me here."

"Do you have any idea where he might be?" asked Scott.

"Not a clue. He could be miles away by now," said Willow.

"I'm sure he'll be alright," said Scott. "Come on, you look like you could use a shower and some new clothes." Willow's face lit up. _A shower! New clothes!_ She thought in excitement. She nodded happily, but an uncomfortable knot was growing in her stomach. _Why didn't he stay?_ She wondered sadly. Scott opened the passenger side door for her and she got in. He hopped into the driver's side and started up the car. "How long have you been traveling?"

"Um...," mumbled Willow counting on her fingers. "I think almost three weeks."

"Wow. From where?" he asked.

"Seattle," said Willow. 

"That's quite a journey," said Scott as they pulled away from the curb. Willow nodded.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I think I'm getting your seat wet," Willow said, shifting her weight beneath the seat belt.

"Don't worry about it," said Scott. He looked a little reluctant to let her sit there on his nice leather seats dripping wet like she was, but he didn't take any action to stop it. It began to rain harder against the windshield. Willow wondered where Kurt was and if he was all right. 

They drove through the cold rain and the failing light for around a half an hour. She watched out the window, trying to memorize all the turns, but she lost track after a while. Willow looked up every street in search of a school building, but she was surprised when Scott pulled into a long driveway outside a mansion with castle-like features. It was covered with ivy, and it was enormous. She could see warm, yellow lights in most of the windows, and she even stole a few glimpses of kids inside. She couldn't help but smile openly. 

She and Scott got out of the car and hurried to the front door. He opened the door and a blast of warm, sweet smelling air spilled out. This was it. After weeks of struggling, she'd finally accomplished her goal. Willow felt like laughing with joy. The interior practically screamed 'home.' It was warm and cozy and she actually felt like she was _supposed_ to be there. She'd never felt like this except for when she was at home with her mother. She was happy to know she could feel that way again. 

"Come on. I want you to meet someone," said Scott. He led her through some hallways and corridors. The walls were white and decorated by paintings and other decorations. Willow could actually hear other kids talking and _laughing_ with each other. Scott stopped in front a particular door and opened it. He let Willow walk in before him and found herself in an office furnished with mostly oak. There was a man sitting behind the desk in a wheelchair. He was an older man, perhaps in his sixties, but his eyes were bright and full of wisdom. He was well dressed, in a suit and tie, and had no hair.

"Scott," he said upon their entry. Then he looked at Willow and smiled. "And you must be Willow." She nodded vigorously with a smile. "I'm Professor Xavier, the creator of this school. Have a seat," he said, waving his hand towards a chair in front of him. He nodded at Scott who exited the room. 

"I'm sort of wet, I don't want to mess up your chair," Willow stammered. 

"It's alright," he said. Willow reluctantly sat down. "Where do you come to us from?" he asked.

"Seattle," Willow answered. 

"Hmm, that's quite a ways," said Xavier, nodding slowly. "Will you lean forward a bit?" he asked. She did this slowly, not knowing what he was up to. "Try to relax. I won't hurt you," he said as he put his hands on either side of her head. A second later, she felt as if someone were digging through her thoughts and memories. She felt a little sleepy. Then it stopped and the Professor sat upright.

"What did you just do?" asked Willow curiously.

"I've just read your mind. I find that it's easier for me than interviewing people," he said.

"Then you know about...about my trip here," said Willow.

"Yes. I'm terribly sorry that you had to go through what you did. No child should be subjected to such a horrible situation," said Xavier gravely. Willow could tell that he really was sorry. "Now, from what I gathered, you still need some language and math classes. Is that right?" 

"Yes," Willow agreed. "I still need to take geometry and...well, I wanted to take German, but I'll take whatever's available."

"German won't be a problem," said Xavier. Willow grinned. "And neither will Geometry. These are the minimum high school requirements, are the not?"

"They are," Willow said.

"Is there anything else you want to take? Art, music? Literature?" asked Xavier kindly.

"All of them," said Willow nodding happily. "As many as I can."

"Alright," Xavier said with a chuckle. "I won't load you down, but I can give you those five classes for now. The new quarter began yesterday, so you picked a good time to arrive. You can start classes tomorrow if you'd like."

"Yes, of course!" cried Willow. "As soon as possible!" Xavier was amused by her eager, upbeat attitude. 

"Alright. So let me see," he said taking a pen and pad of paper out of one of the desk drawers. There are four classes everyday, normally, but some of the students choose to take five or six of them. I have room in my fourth period Geometry class, so that's a start. Jean teaches Art and Music first and second period, so that's covered. We have some excellent online foreign language classes, so German shouldn't be a problem for third. Now, you said you also wanted Literature?" 

"Yes," Willow said eagerly.

"Alright, then fifth period you'll have Storm for Literature," said Xavier, jotting the last of it down. He ripped off the paper and handed it to her. "Now, as for a dorm room for you...How old are you?"

"Eighteen," Willow said. 

"Alright, you're one of the oldest ones. There's a room with four other girls that we could squeeze you in with. There's an extra bed in there, I think. If not, I'll have one set up for you. Classes start at 8:30 and usually end at 1:00. But for you, it will be 2:00. Does that sound alright?" asked Xavier.

"It sounds great," said Willow with an almost overwhelmed sigh. 

"Because there are so many students, there isn't a set time for meals or a place where we all eat at once, so when you get hungry, feel free to help yourself in the kitchen," Xavier said. 

"Okay," Willow said, memorizing every bit of information given to her. 

"There's one more thing I'd like to ask you, and that is what is your mutation? I gathered that you can grow plants, but to what extent?" asked Xavier.

"Er...well, I dunno. I can grow just about anything I can see in my mind. I can make it do whatever I want, and a lot of times the plants are a lot bigger than their natural equivalent unless I concentrate really hard...I dunno what else to say about it," Willow stammered.

"Is that all?" asked Xavier.

"Um...well, this one time when I was getting beat up I did some stuff that I didn't even know I could do. It was almost like I was all of a sudden super flexible and strong...that was in sixth grade, I think, so I'm not sure if I can do it anymore," Willow said.

"I would be happy to help you develop your powers and learn to control them, if you'd like," the Professor said.

"Sure, that'd be great," Willow said. 

"Alright. Evenings at five sound okay?" asked Xavier.

"Whatever works for you," Willow said with a shrug.

"Excellent. I'll have Scott show you to your room," Xavier said.

"Um...I don't...er...," she stuttered.

"You don't have any clothes," Xavier finished for her.

"Yeah," Willow said, her pale cheeks turning pink.

"I'll have Storm take you shopping tomorrow after classes," Xavier told her.

"Thank you so much. You don't know how much this all means to me...I've never been _welcomed_ to a school before," Willow said shakily. "I haven't actually _stayed _at a school before, either."

"This isn't an ordinary school," Xavier pointed out, his eyes twinkling slightly. Scott came into the room a moment later and Xavier gestured for Willow to go with him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Willow."

"Thanks again!" Willow said before she and Scott left the room. He led her up a flight of carpeted stairs and down a hallway. Willow could hear blaring metal guitars in one of the rooms they were approaching. Scott opened the door and the sound spilled out into the hallway. Three girls and two boys looked up when he entered. A girl with short, nearly white hair grabbed the radio that was sitting on the nearest bed out of five and turned the volume down low. 

"This is Willow, she's your new room mate. She's had a rough time, and I expect all of you to make her feel welcome," Willow stepped inside and smiled at all the curious faces. The girl with the radio cocked an eyebrow at her. Scott turned to leave but stopped and looked back in at the girl with the radio. "I don't want to hear about anything less than kind from you, Jack, and I mean it."

"Sure," she said. Scott left Willow in the room. They all just stared at each other for a few uncomfortable seconds. 

"Wanna play Devil May Cry?" asked the blue-eyed boy on the floor with a Play Station 2 controller in his hand.

"Er...maybe I'll just watch," said Willow. 

"You looked soaked to the bone," said the girl sitting next to him. She had auburn hair and pure white bangs. 

"I was out in the rain for a while. The weather's kinda nasty today," Willow said with a nod. 

"Why don't Ah get you some sweats to hang out in? That'll be more comfortable, doncha think?" she asked.

"Would you?" asked Willow happily. 

"Sure," said the girl. She got up from the floor and walked over to the dresser that was next to the TV stand. "Well come're!" she said to Willow, who was still standing in the doorway. 

"Oh!" said Willow, jumping a little. She hurried over to the dresser. 

"By the way, Ah'm Rogue. That's Jack, short for Jackie" she said, pointing to the white haired girl on the bed.

"Hey," said Jackie shortly.

"That's Jubilee," said Rogue pointing to an Asian girl on the edge of the bed near Jack. She was covered with bracelets and earrings and had her hair done up in a messy ponytail.

"Hi," said Jubilee.

"That's mah boyfriend, Bobby, and that's John," she said pointing to the boy with the controller and the kid next to him with slicked back brown hair. He was fiddling around with a Zippo lighter with a shark's face painted on it. Bobby smiled and nodded to Willow, and John raised his hand in an unenthusiastic greeting. Rogue dug in her drawer and fished out a black pair of sweats and a tank top. "Are these alright?"

"D'you got anything with longer sleeves?" asked Willow nervously, not wanting to show her arms very much. 

"Not right now, it's all gettin' washed," said Rogue.

"Okay," said Willow. She wasn't thrilled to let them all see the skin on her arms. "You got a bathroom in here?" 

"Right over there," said Rogue, pointing to a small hallway in front of the third bed over.

"Could I maybe take a shower?" asked Willow.

"Of course," said Rogue. She seemed shocked that Willow even had to ask.

"Thanks," said Willow. She took the sweat pants and tank top with her into the bathroom. She shut the door and locked it. She looked at herself in the mirror and was embarrassed at how disheveled she looked. She stripped down to bare skin and turned the water on. She spent a few minutes messing with the temperature, then got in. She closed the curtain and sighed, enjoying the feeling of warmth on her cold skin. Her long, poofy green hair stuck to her back in a mat. She spent a while getting it all wet, then went for the shampoo and conditioner. She seriously considered cutting a great deal of her hair off. It was a lot of work and it got in the way a lot. She squirted some body wash into her palm and scrubbed away three weeks of dirt and grease. She did this twice for good measure. She washed her face most of all, though, scrubbing it with her hands until she felt numb. Finally, after almost an hour of lathering and scrubbing and rinsing, Willow was sure that she was completely clean. 

She turned off the water and wrung out her hair. She opened the curtain and stepped onto the bathmat. There was a folded up towel on the toilet tank, which she seized eagerly. She dried off, loving how soft the fabric felt. She got dressed in Rogue's clothes and wiped the moist condensation from the mirror. She picked up a random brush and began sorting out the tangles in her hair. When she was done, she opened up the mirror cabinet. She found some hair ties, which she used to tie her wet hair into two tight buns on either side of her head. Willow looked through the piles of stuff in the cabinet and also found a toothbrush that was still wrapped. She didn't care whose toothbrush it was. She took it, unwrapped it, and brushed her teeth until her gums felt like they were about to bleed. She rinsed her mouth out and looked at herself in the mirror. She felt like a whole new person. Her face looked brighter and happier than when she had looked in the mirror at the hospital. She also felt better about the person staring back at her than she did when she last saw it. The shower and the comfortable pajamas made her feel like she had finally passed a major milestone in her life. She sighed and smiled at herself before turning out the light and heading back into the room. 

"For the last fucking time, no!" John was saying as Willow entered the room. "I'm not risking you shorting out my Play Station."

"I won't!" Jack cried. "Just let me play!"

"Hmm, wasn't it you that blacked out Las Vegas over a video game?" asked John sarcastically.

"Hey, cut me a break, I had a rough day," Jackie said in defense. "And anyways, it wasn't the whole city, I'm not _that_ powerful."

"But you could destroy my Play Station, that's the point," John said stubbornly.

"Quit being such a dick," Jackie said dangerously.

"You'll fucking short it out!" cried John.

"I'll short _you_ out if you don't fork over that controller!" Jackie growled. 

"Let her play, John," said Bobby. John rolled his eyes and gave Jackie the controller.

"If you destroy my console, I'll make you buy me a new one," John warned Jackie.

"Yeah, yeah," Jackie muttered as she began playing. Willow came over and sat down on the edge of the bed next to the one that Jackie and Jubilee were on.

"Feel better?" asked Jubilee.

"Much. And thanks to whoever the hair ties belong to," said Willow.

"Those're mine. You can use them, I don't care," said Jubilee. "It's too damn quiet in here! Turn your radio on, Jackie-girl."

"Not now, I'm busy," muttered Jackie in a video game trance.

"I swear to God, you're so inconsiderate," said Jubilee, reaching over and grabbing the radio. She turned it on and cranked up the volume. Willow watched Jackie play Devil May Cry and listened to the blaring rock music. They hadn't even given her arms a second glance. For once in her life, Willow really did feel like a teenager. And a human. 

After a while, Bobby and John left for their own dorm room. John took the Play Station with him, so they were stuck with watching TV Jackie turned off her radio and put in on the floor so she could stretch out on the bed. Rogue still sat on the floor, but now she was flipping channels.

"Why don't you just _pick_ something?" asked Jackie in an annoyed tone of voice. 

"There's nothin' good on," Rogue muttered. Finally she got fed up and turned the TV off. Jackie sighed.

"No video games, no TV," she said. Jackie turned to look at Willow. "I think it's time for an interrogation." She sat up on the bed again. "So what do you do?"

"I can grow plants," said Willow.

"Like flowers and shit?" asked Jackie with a grin.  
"Uh huh," Willow said with a nod.

"Hence the green arms?" asked Jubilee.

"Yep," Willow said nodding.

"So where are you from?" asked Jubilee.

"Seattle, Washington," Willow answered.

"How'd you get here?" she asked.

"By Greyhound bus most of the way. Then I missed my stop and ended up in Boston. I met this guy in a church, and he helped me get here," said Willow. Talking about Kurt only made her worry more about him. She wished she knew where he was.

"Was this guy cute by any chance?" asked Jubilee with an interested grin.

"Er...well I dunno...I don't know if he's _cute_," she said slowly. "He was really nice, though. I miss him a lot." An awkward silence followed in which they all looked thoughtful.

"Food?" asked Jackie, dramatically changing the subject on purpose. 

"Yeah," the girls muttered, getting up and filing out of the room. Willow brought up the rear and followed them down the stairs and eventually, into the kitchen. 

"Hey, guys," said a girl with a brown ponytail who was passing through the kitchen.

"Hey, Kitty," they said out of unison. Kitty gasped when she saw Willow.

"We've got a new girl?" she asked in an excited voice. 

"Yeah, this is Willow. She just got here like two hours ago," said Jubilee. "She's in our room."

"Hi," said Kitty. She was probably two years younger than Willow. "I'm Kitty Pryde."

"Willowtree Stevens," Willow returned. 

"Well it's good meeting you, Willowtree Stevens," said Kitty. 

"I just go by Willow, though," Willow told her.

"Alright. Well, I stayed up late last night, so I'm goin' to bed. Don't make a bunch of noise when you come up to the room, 'kay?"

"You ruin everything, Kitty," Jackie joked. Kitty stuck her tongue at them before leaving the kitchen. Willow stood back and watched her new roommates dig through the cupbords in search of sustenance. Jackie brought out a box of Lucky Charms.

"You want some'a these?" she asked Willow. "They're magically delicious," she said in a voice that was meant to tempt her into eating.

"Yeah, okay," said Willow with a grin. Jackie got down two bowls and poured herself some cereal. She handed the box to Willow and went into the refrigerator to get the milk. Everyone else ended up having Lucky Charms too. 

"So when're you and Bobby gonna go out on a real date?" asked Jubilee.

"Ah dunno," said Rogue, poking her cereal with her spoon. "Ah'm sorta waitin' fer him to ask me."

"Go for it, it's not like he's gonna say no," Jackie pointed out.

"Ah know...Ah just gotta wait for the right time," said Rogue.

"And what about _you_?" asked Jubilee with a grin, nudging Jackie painfully jabbing her in the ribs with her elbow. "Huh? What about you, Jackie-girl?"

"Cut it out," mumbled Jackie into her cereal.

"Leave her alone," said Rogue. She looked up at Willow. "Are you always this quiet?"

"It depends. Right now I'm just sort of listening," said Willow. She sighed and smiled. "This is the first time I've ever really hung out with anyone my age. Most of my life has been spent at home. My mom home schooled me since sixth grade."

"That's sad!" cried Jubilee. 

"Is your mom back in Seattle?" asked Rogue. 

"She's gone," said Willow looking down into her half-eaten cereal. "A couple weeks ago. This is actually one of the only times I've been able to talk about her without crying. We were very close."

"Ah'm sorry," said Rogue. The kitchen was pretty quiet from then on. They finished up their meal and put the dishes in the sink. They all trooped back upstairs and tried to be quiet for Kitty, who was fast asleep in the middle bed. They shut the door as quietly as they could and got into their pajamas.

"That one on the end can be yours," said Rouge referring to the bed on the end of the row. Willow became excited. _A real bed! With sheets!_ She thought. She climbed under the blankets and sighed with a smile when her head sunk into the pillow. The first time in weeks that she'd slept warm in a real bed. Jackie turned her radio on so that they could barely hear it.

"I hope you don't mind the music. It helps me sleep," said Jackie quietly as to not disturb Kitty as she slept.

"No problem," said Willow. Jubilee, who's bed was closest to the light switch, turned out the lights.

"G'night, Willow," whispered Rogue.

"'Night," Willow said quietly.

"Welcome to Mutant High," said Jack.

"Thank you," Willow said before turning over and falling straight to sleep.

****

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

I know this chapter was a little heavy on the swearing. It doesn't get much worse than that. Well, carry on :o)


	5. Ch 5

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Five *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next morning, Willow was rudely awakened by a harsh alarm. She pulled the blankets over her head to try and block out the noise.

"Will someone please turn that _off_?" growled Jackie.

"I got it," said Jubilee turning off the alarm. Much stretching and yawning and rubbing of eyes went on before any of them got out of bed and attempted to get dressed. 

"You wanna borrow some clothes for today?" asked Rogue.

"That would be nice," said Willow, rubbing more sleep out of her eyes. Rogue let Willow pick an outfit out of her wardrobe. She picked out a pair of flared blue jeans and a blue and white plaid blouse with short sleeves. 

"Lucky we're almost the same sahz," said Rogue.

"No kidding," said Willow. "Does the blue clash with my skin?" asked Willow. Rogue giggled.

"No," she said with a smile. Willow grinned too.

"'Kay, thanks," she said before going and putting the clothes on.

Willow ate breakfast with her roommates and was told how to get to the art room for first period. She only took one wrong turn and was able to right herself quickly. When she entered the art studio, she took a seat in the back at one of the long tables. She was the first one to class. The only other person in the room was the teacher, Jean, who looked up and smiled upon Willow's entry. 

"Good morning," said Jean. She had shoulder length red hair and pretty brown eyes. 

"Hi," said Willow smiling back. 

"I believe we spoke on the phone yesterday," said Jean in a friendly voice as she walked towards her.

"So we did," said Willow remembering Jean's voice. 

"Are you feeling better?" asked Jean.

"A lot better. Thank you," said Willow. 

"How do you like it here so far?" asked Jean as a few students streamed in and sat down. 

"It's great. It really is. Everyone's so nice to me. When I first arrived, the kids in the room asked if I wanted to play _video games._ It almost feels unreal. Before...well, before it happened, I didn't think _anyone_ could be nice to me. But when I was in the hospital, the doctors were nice to me. Then when I was on the bus, I met this fellow who was nice to me...he was a mutant too, so that's a little different. Then when I missed the stop in Albany, Kurt was nice to me too. It's a huge change from what I was used to before," Willow explained. 

"You seem to be adjusting well," Jean said.

"I'm trying," said Willow with a nod. The class was almost completely full by now, all chatting and sharing stories about dreams they'd had the night before. The bell rang, and just as it did, Bobby burst through the door. Jean smirked at him.

"Take a seat," she said almost sternly. He nodded, gasping for air. He'd been running. He spotted Willow and smiled. He sat down in the empty chair beside her.

"Hey," he said as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hi," said Willow. 

"Good morning," said Jean in a friendly voice. "Today we've got a new student with us. This is Willow Stevens." Willow's pale face blushed light pink as all the sleepy eyes in the class turned on her. "Does anyone have any questions for Willow?" First there was silence. Then a few hands rose.

"Michael," called Jean.

"What's your mutation?" he asked.

"I can grow plants," she answered.

"Anywhere?" asked Michael.

"Well, not _anywhere_. I mean, I couldn't make a tree grow out of my desk, or anything. There has to be dirt. And I couldn't like, grow a cactus here in New York because cacti can't live in such a cold climate. It'd die as soon as it came out of the ground. I can't usually grow much of anything in winter because the plants can't handle the cold," said Willow. Michael nodded. Jean called on someone else.

"Elise," she said.

"How old are you?" asked Elise.

"Eighteen. I turn nineteen in April," said Willow. 

"Anyone else?" asked Jean. The room was silent. "Alright, so we'll start with today's lesson. We've been in a drawing unit for that past week, Willow," Jean told her. "So today we're going to do still life drawings. That's where you pick something in the room and try to draw it. I'll pass out some construction paper, and we'll begin. This will be due at the end of the period." Jean sent a pile of paper around the semi-circle of long tables. Bobby dug in his bag and pulled out a mechanical pencil.

"D'you want a pencil?" he asked.

"Sure," said Willow. Bobby gave her a regular pencil that needed sharpening. The diminishing pile of paper landed in front of her. She took a piece and gave it to Bobby. He took one and passed it on. 

"There's a pencil sharpener over there," said Bobby, pointing to Jean's desk at the front of the room. Willow got up and sharpened her pencil. She sat back down, a sharp pencil in hand and a piece of clear paper in front of her. She hadn't done much drawing in her life, but she knew how. Willow looked around the room for something to draw, but nothing seemed interesting enough. She peered over at Bobby, who was drawing the Aloe Vera plant on Jean's desk.

"Hold still, Bobby," said Willow.

"Are you gonna draw me?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, hold still," Willow told him. Bobby held as still as he could while Willow quickly scratched his outline out. She drew the rough outlines of the features of his face and shoulders. She began to get more detailed and rubbed her pinky finger on the paper where she wanted shadows. The class was almost over, so she started drawing faster. 

"Start thinking about putting your materials away," Jean called over the chatting class. "We've got five minutes left."

"Crap," muttered Willow with a grin as she tried to hurry and produce the rest of Bobby's hair.

"I'm getting a cramp in my neck," Bobby told her.

"I'm almost done," Willow said. She shaded his hair quickly and looked from him to the drawing. It wasn't the best, but it mildly resembled him. "Okay, you can move."

"Lemme see," Bobby said, reaching over for the paper. "Wow," he said, a surprised looked coming over his face. "Willow, this is good."

"Eh, it's not, really...I messed up on your nose a little," Willow said, her cheeks growing pink. 

"Seriously, this is really good," said Bobby, marveling over Willow's drawing. Jean walked over to them as everyone packed up their stuff and stood up, ready to go. "Jean, check out what Willow drew," Bobby said passing Jean the paper.

"Willow, this is amazing," Jean said. "But it isn't a still life. This is a portrait." Willow felt stupid. She nodded with a let down look. "I'll still give you credit, though," Jean assured her. "It's beautiful." The bell rang. Willow handed Bobby his pencil. They got up and joined the rest of the class as they filtered out of the classroom. 

"I'm gonna have to show Rogue that picture," said Bobby with a grin. "You're really good. Do you draw a lot?"

"No, I really don't. It's been a while since I've drawn anything," said Willow.

"Wow," said Bobby. "Well, I gotta get to History, so I'll talk to you later."

"Alright," said Willow. "See ya. Oh! Do you know where the music room is?" 

"Yeah, you go down this hall and it's the first room on the left," Bobby said. 

"Thanks," Willow said.

"No problem. See ya," he said as he headed off one of the halls to his History class. Willow followed Bobby's direction and came to the music room. She went in and discovered Jackie in the room tuning a snare drum.

"Hey," Jackie said as she tapped the drum and twisted the notches around the head with her tuning key. She tapped around each notch. Satisfied, she put down the key and did a drum roll. "Perfect."

"You play drums?" asked Willow.

"Well I wouldn't be tunin' someone else's drum for 'em, would I?" Jack said, fiddling around on the snare. 

"Guess not," said Willow.

"D'you play an instrument?" asked Jackie.

"Nope. I'd like to learn the piano, maybe, or something with strings. Like that," said Willow pointing at a tall, stringed instrument leaning against a wall.

"That's a stand up bass," Jackie informed her. "They're pretty cool."

"Maybe I'll try that," said Willow.

"We mostly just try instruments in here and learn how to read music. It's an easy A class. But I get to play the drums, so that's all that I care about," said Jack.

"Did you play drums back in Las Vegas?" asked Willow.

"Yeah, I did. I had to leave it behind, though, after I put out the power. I didn't mean to, I just got mad, and it just sort of happened. My family knew I was a mutant, so I left before they could figure out I did it. I got here last week," Jackie told her. "It's a lot better here than Las Vegas anyway. It's so ugly there during the day. Even I can tell, and I'm colorblind."

"You are?" asked Willow. 

"Yeah," Jackie said. "I see in black and white. Life's like one big _I Love Lucy_ episode."

"So you can't tell that my hair's green? Or my arms?" she asked with amazement.

"Well I knew your hair wasn't a normal color, but I didn't know that it was _green_, exactly. Same with your arms," Jackie said. 

"Have you ever been able to see color?" asked Willow.

"I used to. But then when I was thirteen, I almost killed myself with this whole electricity thing, and it shot my eyes. Sucked the color right outta my hair, too. That was when I first found out I was a mutant. Damn, I'd pay big bucks to see some color again," she said in a nostalgic voice. "Anyways, back to the point, I've got a few good friends now, and there are plenty of cute guys here to keep me happy."

"You guys seem to talk about cute boys a lot," said Willow.

"Well, _yeah,_" Jackie said. "Don't tell me you've never seen an attractive guy."

"I _have_....once...well, twice," she added. "When I rode the bus here I made friends with a very handsome fellow named Gambit. Then when I met Kurt in Boston...I dunno if he's attractive. I mean, he isn't a normal looking guy, but...I dunno, it's weird," said Willow thoughtfully. "Maybe you'll meet him someday, then you'll know what I mean."

"Huh," Jackie muttered. "How old were these guys anyway?"

"I dunno...maybe mid or late twenties," Willow estimated.

"Wow," said Jackie. "Well, I guess you're eighteen, so you can shoot a little higher than I can."

"How old are you?" asked Willow.

"I'll be seventeen in June," Jackie said. Willow hadn't noticed the few students in the class filing randomly into the classroom. "You can just grab a chair and sit here if you want," Jackie offered. Willow found a chair and drug it next to Jackie's drum stool. Jean came into the room.

"Good morning," she said loudly. "I see you've got a friend back there, Willow." She went through the whole introduction thing again. Jean asked if Jackie wanted to help Willow learn how to read music. Jackie agreed, and Jean left them alone while she helped the rest of the tiny class with their instruments. It got very noisy. Instead of focusing on music, Willow and Jackie talked for most of the period. 

"See? We're not even getting yelled at. Easy A class. You don't really have to do anything. It gets kinda boring sometimes, but I guess now that you're here, I can't have someone to talk to," Jackie said. 

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "I still want to learn how to play something."

"Well, yeah, you can't get away with doing nothing _all_ the time," said Jackie.

"Playing upright bass doesn't sound like half a bad idea," said Willow.

"It's not. I'm full of good ideas," Jackie announced. "Need a good idea, I've got 'em all." Willow chuckled at her. 

"C'mon, we gotta at least _act_ like you're teaching me something," said Willow. 

"Well it turns out I don't really know how to read anything but drum music," said Jackie. "I could teach you some of that if I felt like it, but I sorta don't."

"You don't have to, I don't care. I just don't wanna get in trouble," Willow said. 

"You won't, it's only your first day. The punishments here aren't too bad unless you do something stupid like start kicking someone's ass, or so I've heard. I've never actually seen a fight here yet, so I don't know what they'd do." Jackie and Willow talked all period long without so much as a sideways glance from Jean. Jackie led Willow to the kitchen where several people were heating up macaroni and cheese in the microwave and fixing up sandwiches. 

"There's only like seventy kids in this place, but you gotta get in and get out when it comes to food. I practically starved my first day," Jackie told her. Willow had the feeling that Jackie was exaggerating, but didn't say anything about it. They dug through the refrigerator in search of sandwich makings. They retreated to the family room outside the kitchen. There were seven other kids there, the majority of them no older than twelve.

"What're we watchin'?" asked Jackie as she sat down.

"Jerry Springer," mumbled one of the kids as the show came back from a commercial break.

"What?! You guys can't watch that! Gimme the remote!" Jackie cried as she snatched the remote from one of the kids. 

"Hey!" cried the kid who had the remote.

"You're too damn young for Jerry Springer," Jackie told him as she switched it to MTV. "There. Not exactly wholesome, but less scarring than Jerry Springer. Jeez, you kids freak me out." Willow couldn't help but laugh at them. This was a good place to be. A good place to live. This was what she'd been missing out on her whole life. It sort of made her sad. She was a legal adult, and she just started to really live a normal life around normal people. She decided to not take a minute of it for granted.

The rest of the day went on well. Rogue and John were both in Willow's literature class at the very end of the day. Storm turned out to be a very nice woman that walked Willow through what they had been doing since the year started. They were right in the middle of a book called _The Lord of the Flies_ by William Golding. Willow was given a copy. 

"You haven't really got much catching up to do. It's a great novel, and it reads fast," Storm told her. She lead the rest of the class that period in a discussion about who the class thought was the real leader on the island. Each person got to say what he or she thought and give information to back up their opinion. Willow couldn't wait to read the first five chapters so that she could know what they were talking about. 

After the bell rang, Willow was about to head back to the dorm room with Rogue and John, but Storm stopped her.

"Willow," Storm called after her.

"Yes?" asked Willow, stopping and turning around.

"We're going shopping, remember? Professor Xavier said you needed clothes," she said.

"Oh, right! I completely forgot!" said Willow. "Can I go upstairs and get my coat and stuff?"

"Of course," Storm said. "I'll be here when you come back, then we'll go."

"Okay," said Willow. She was excited to get some new clothes. She ran up the stairs and walked down the hall quickly until she got to her room. She flung open the door and went straight into the bathroom where she found her coat still on the floor. She picked it up and put it on.

"Why're you in such a hurry?" asked Jubilee. She and Kitty were watching TV. 

"Storm's taking me shopping for clothes," said Willow. "Er...do any of you guys have any gloves?"

"Rogue has tons of gloves," said Kitty.

"I've been using so much of her stuff lately," said Willow. She also didn't want to use any of her stuff on the sly.

"She won't care," said Jubilee. "They're in that top small drawer there." Willow reluctantly opened the drawer and found a pair of brown, leathery looking gloves. She put them on and found that they reached about three inches above her wrist.

"Can you guys tell her I'm sorry? About borrowing her stuff?" asked Willow.

"She won't care, but we'll tell her anyway," Jubilee said.

"Thanks. I'll see you guys later tonight," said Willow.

"See ya," Kitty said brightly as Willow exited the room. She made her way back to Storm's classroom. She was, as she said, still there. She'd put a coat on and had a bag over her shoulder. 

"Ready to go?" she asked. 

"Yep," Willow replied. She followed Storm to one of the two elevators in the mansion. They got in and she pushed the basement level button. It took them down and then the door slid open. In front of them were five cars, one of which she recognized from when Scott had picked her up the day before. They took new looking Honda Accord SE. The whole back wall was like one big garage door. Storm opened it with the controller that was clipped to the visor. She started up the car and backed out of the driveway. She put the car in drive and they were off towards the nearest mall.

"Have you got anything in mind that you might want to buy? Anywhere you want to go?" asked Storm.

"Not really...I guess I'll know it when I see it. I hate making you guys spend money on me. Clothes are so expensive. I'll try not to pick out anything too pricey," Willow said.

"Don't worry about it. Really. I mean, coming all the way from Seattle by yourself, a few new clothes isn't much," Storm said.

"I didn't really come by myself though, that's the thing," Willow said. "If it wasn't for Yolanda and Kurt, I'd still be hanging around Boston. They deserve all the credit, not me."

"Who's Kurt?" asked Storm.

"He's this mutant I met in a church at Boston. He's so nice it sorta blows you away. I never met anyone who was that nice to me in my whole life. I miss him," Willow said. "He's a great guy."

"He sounds like a great guy," Storm said. "And who is Yolanda?"

"The nurse at the hospital that gave me the money to get here," said Willow. "She's a sweet woman. I hope I see here again." As they drove towards the mall, it started to sprinkle. The raindrops pattering on the windshield got heavier the further they went.

"The weather's almost as bad here as it is in Seattle," Willow muttered. The mall they went to was fairly large, as it was New York, but not as big as it probably could have been. Willow hitched up the gloves and made sure no green skin was showing through. Storm parked and turned off the car. They got out and walked casually into the mall.

"We are on a budget, though. We've only got a hundred dollars, so no Abercrombie or Gap, alright?" asked Storm. 

"That's fine. I don't even like Abercrombie and Gap," Willow said. They walked around for a while, looking in the windows of shops. They stopped in at a store called Hot Topic and searched around. The T-shirts were reasonably priced, but after finding a pair of pants for sixty dollars, Willow decided that this was not a good place to shop for pants. She bought three T-shirts. One was black with a red and white Ghostbusters logo an the front (a movie Willow had always liked.) The second was a gray and green T-shirt with Woodstock from Peanuts wearing a camp counselor's hat on it. It said 'happy camper' across the top and bottom of the picture. The last was one had Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street on it. He was in his garbage can and the word 'scram!' was printed across the top.

They left Hot Topic with sixty-one dollars left. They searched around in numerous stores in search of some reasonably priced pants. Finally, they came across a store called Gadzooks. They went inside and looked around. Most of the girl's pants were too tight and too low on the hips, and they made Willow uncomfortable.

"All the girl's clothes in here are uncomfortable," she told Storm, worrying that they wouldn't find anything.

"Why don't you look in the guy's section? It couldn't hurt," Storm suggested.

"Maybe...I don't wanna look like a guy...," Willow said hesitantly.

"You won't. You're too pretty to look like a guy," Storm told her. 

"I'm not pretty," Willow said. "I'm weird lookin'."

"I don't think so," Storm told her. "I like green. Why don't you just look around and see if you like anything."

"Alright," said Willow. She looked through the guy's pants for something she liked. Most of them had large patches on the back pockets that were extremely masculine. All she wanted was a pair of jeans. After about ten minutes off digging through piles of folded pants, she finally found one she liked. They were dark blue and had a small patch on the back pocket of the brand logo, JNCO. She picked out two pairs and went in tried them both on. One fit, but the other didn't. She put the pair that didn't fit back and looked for one that was the same size as the pair that did. The pants were on sale, twenty-two dollars each. They bought them and were leaving the store when Willow spotted something.

"Oh, wow. Check out these earrings," she said, stopping and picking up a pair of extremely dangly, beaded earrings. "Aren't they cool?"

"Do you want them?" asked Storm.

"Sure," Willow said. She looked at the back of the earrings and found a price marked in red. "They're only a dollar fifty!"

"You can get a couple more if you want," Storm said. Willow picked out two more pairs of earrings and waited in line at the counter to buy them. She came back with twelve dollars and fifty cents. They went into J.C. Penny and spent the last of the money on a package of socks and underwear, and a cheap pair of Capri pajama pants. Storm ended up spending five dollars of her own money since they went over budget a little.

They drove back to the mansion with three bags of clothes. Willow was happy that she had some of her own clothes to wear, but felt bad that they'd spent a hundred dollars on her. She thanked Storm and went upstairs to unload everything in the dorm. No one was inside this time. She set the bags down and took out her new clothes. She ripped off the tags and took her Woodstock shirt, one of the pairs of blue jeans, a pair of underwear and socks and went into the bathroom to change. She took off all of Rogue's clothes and replaced them with her own. She looked at herself in the mirror. New clothes, new home, new life. 

She sighed and neatly folded Rogue's clothes. She took them out of the bathroom and set them on top of Rogue's dresser, the gloves she had borrowed on the very top. She looked around the room with her hands in her pockets. This was the first time she had been alone since she arrived. But it was a different kind of alone. This was a solitude that could be easily broken. All she had to do was walk out of the room and find someone to talk to. She decided not to, however. She had promised Yolanda that she would write to her. She found a pad of lined paper and a pen under the lamp on the desk in the corner where the phone was. She sat down and took up the pen.

__

Dear Yolanda,

I made it. I'm at the school, and everything is just fine. Just like you told me it would be. You've helped me so much, and I don't think I can put how thankful I am into words. Without you, I would still be wandering the streets of Seattle. I still have quite a bit of the money you sent with me, so I'm giving it back to you. I don't think I'll need it. I really do have just about everything I need right here. I've got friends, people who care about me, and a warm bed to sleep in at night. I'm truly happy, but I miss my mother terribly. But as horrible as it all sounds, I think that when she died, it set me free. I don't quite know how to explain it...I really do miss her a lot.

Thank you for everything you have done for me.

~Willow

She read the letter over a few times, silent tears in her eyes from speaking about her mother, then folded it up and stuffed it in her pocket. She would find an envelope later. Right now, she was going to find her friends. It was too quiet in that room with just one person inside.

****

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

__

Okay, as you read the next few chapters, please bear in mind that I wrote all of this after the movie first came out. I couldn't find an online script, so I had to do it completely from memory. I know some things are a little off, so no flames about accuracy!


	6. Ch 6

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*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Six *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

November passed quicker than Willow thought it would. She wrote to Yolanda every week and every week she got a letter back. Yolanda had mailed the excess money back to Willow saying that it was hers to keep, and that someday she might need it. She really did end up needing it. With the temperature dropping outside, Willow had to buy herself some warmer clothes like sweatshirts and pants.

She was doing well in all of her classes, and despite she and Jackie's constant chatter, Willow managed to learn a thing or two about the stand up bass. German was going well, she'd already learned how to have a basic and simple conversation with someone. They'd finished _Lord of the Flies_ in Literature and discussed it until the book was stripped to the binding. She was a little behind in her math class, but was determined to fix that. Scott had even taught her how to drive a car. She got her license once she was confident enough to start driving on her own. Apart from all of that, Professor Xavier was helping her control her plant growing powers, and Scott was helping her develop her agility, flexibility, speed, and strength inside a room called The Danger Room. She trained with him almost every day to help control her movements and make them more precise and accurate. He once seemed alarmed by how quick she was when dodging the ruby blasts of energy that issued from his visor (it was, of course, on the lowest setting. If Willow were hit, she would only feel a tingling sensation.)

"You're like a cat! If I tried that, I'd snap my spine in half," he said. 

"I'm sorry," she said. The last thing she wanted to do was scare him. 

"Don't be sorry. Again," he said. She once asked Professor Xavier why she had both growing powers and all the extra super-human abilities. He told her that often times, second generation mutants acquire their mutant parent's physical attributes and powers, but the other abilities were entirely their own. Willow wondered how many other students had two mutations instead of just one, and how many others were second generation mutants.

Willow lay awake in bed more often, letting her mind wander. She thought about school, and homework, and guys she'd met at the school so far, all of which were a little too young. Only one boy, Peter Rasputin, was her age. A lot of the kids called him Collosus because of his huge, muscular frame. He was nice and good looking, but she wasn't at all attracted to him like most of the other girls were. 

She thought about Christmas and the snow that was falling heavily outside. She wondered what her first Christmas would be like without her mother. She tried not to think about that very often. At the end of every late night mind wander, she always seemed to think about Kurt. Where was he? Did he have a warm place to stay when the snow started to fall last week? Was he eating regularly? She wished she could know the answers to all these questions, but every night ended the same way. She always wondered about the same three things, and she would always fall asleep before she thought of a forth. 

"What're you guys up to?" asked Willow in mid December as she walked into the dorm after classes were over.

"Shh," Jackie hissed. She was listening into the phone.

"We're gonna go see a movie," Rogue whispered.

"What movie?" asked Willow quietly as she sat down on the end of her bed.

"Lord of the Rings, hopefully," Rogue said. "Ah heard it was really good. Just 'cause we're mutants doesn't mean we can't go see a movie."

"Yeah," Willow whispered toughly with a nod. 

"Seriously, I can't hear a damn thing," Jackie told them. She listened some more and then hung up. "Okay, we can make today at the 3:15, but it's over two hours long...I think we oughta just ask if we can go to see it. It'll seem to weird, us gone for over two hours."

"Good point," said Rogue. "Maybe if we ask someone lahk Jean...She maht let us go."

"Maybe if we smile real sweet at her," Willow said with a grin.

"I don't do sweet smiling," Jackie said. "Let's just go ask. If they say no, _then_ we'll sneak out."

"Couldn't hurt, Ah guess," said Rogue. "C'mon, we gotta go get Bobby and John, then we'll ask," she said as she put on her winter coat. 

"John's coming?" asked Jackie doing the same. She wrapped a scarf around her neck as well. Willow followed their example and put on her warm coat and beanie to shield her ears from the cold. She also put on her gloves that she bought the week before that went all the way up to her elbows.

"Yeah, Ah told you he was," said Rogue.

"Oh, yeah...," Jackie muttered. Jackie and Willow followed Rogue out of the room. They headed across the hall and knocked. John answered, wearing his naturally arrogant expression.

"You gahz ready, or what?" asked Rogue. He didn't have his coat on, and his shoes weren't tied yet.

"Almost," John said. He opened the door a little wider so they could come in. Jackie flashed him a brief, closed smile. He nodded to her before following them inside. One thing was for sure, and that was that the boys were even bigger slobs than the girls were. Clothes and shoes and paper littered the floor. _Why don't they just shove this stuff under the beds like everyone else?_ Willow wondered as she stepped over someone's dirty boxers. She hoped they belonged to Peter. At least he was buff enough to have discarded underwear lying out in the open.

"Hurry up, guys, your room is disgusting," Willow said. 

"I just gotta find my other shoe," Bobby said, digging though a pile of clothes. John picked up Bobby's shoe and threw it at him, hitting him in the shoulder.

"Come on, you're holding up the show," John told him. Bobby rubbed his shoulder and put his other shoe on. John and Bobby found their coats and headed out of the room. They all herded downstairs in search of an adult. The first one they came across, however, was Scott.

"What're you guys up to?" he asked.

"Goin' to a movie," John said bluntly. Rogue elbowed him in the ribs.

"You are, are you?" asked Scott raising a quizzical eyebrow.

"Well...that was the plan," Bobby said.

"Could we please go, Scott? We haven't had anything to do for the past week," Willow said. Scott looked like he was thinking for a moment.

"What movie are you seeing?" he asked.

"The Two Towers," Jackie said.

"And that's rated.....?" Scott asked, trailing off.

"Well it doesn't really matter if Willow's with us," John pointed out.

"Jackie's not seventeen yet," Scott said. "What's it rated?"

"PG13," Rogue told him. Scott looked thoughtful again.

"I suppose you could go," he said. "If you're careful and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Thanks, Scott," They all said out of unison.

"Seriously, though. Nothing I wouldn't do," Scott reminded them.

"We won't," They assured him. 

"Can we take your car?" asked Willow.

"Not _my_ car. You can take the Accord if you want," he said. "I think the key's in the ignition. Don't crash it, you guys!" he called after them. "I mean it!" They pretended not to hear him. 

"I'm driving," John said.

"You're sitting in the back. _I'm_ driving," Willow said. 

"I call shotgun," Jackie said quickly. 

"Sorry, Pyro, ol' pal," she said as they got in the elevator. They rode it down to the garage level and got out. They found the black Accord and piled in. Willow got behind the wheel and opened the garage door with the remote. She started up the car and buckled her seat belt. She adjusted her mirrors and put the car into reverse. They backed out of the driveway and once everything was all clear, they headed to the movie theatre. Willow turned on her headlights and windshield wipers so that she could see through the snow. 

"I can't believe we even got out of there with Summers breathing down our necks," John said. 

"No kidding," Bobby agreed. 

"Time for some tunes," Willow said turning on the radio. She changed stations until she found one of her favorites. 

"Oh, no, turn that crap off!" John protested loudly. "I hate your dumb ass techno!"

"Hey, I'm driving. When I'm driving, the radio magically becomes mine. Okay?" Willow told him, looking at him through the rear view mirror. "This is a great song, anyway."

"Do you even know what it's called or who it's _by_?" asked John.

"I'm not changing the station. Everyone likes techno in here except for you," Willow said stubbornly. "You just get sore every time something doesn't go your way."

"Yeah, I do, but I got my reasons," John said grimly.

"Care to shed any light on those reasons?" asked Willow.

"Not at the moment," John muttered. He didn't say anything else until they got to the movie theatre. 

"It's 3:10, we gotta hurry if we want pop corn and stuff," said John. The bought their tickets and went inside. Willow didn't want snacks, so she went inside and saved them seats. The theatre was pretty full, but not uncomfortably packed. The lights dimmed and went out, signaling the beginning of the previews. Willow still sat by herself in the middle of the theatre, waiting for the others to come back with their food. Finally they came into the dark theatre. They looked around.

"Willow!" hissed Jackie. 

"Over here," Willow called, waving her hand in the air. They all filed past people who were sitting on the outside of the row and shuffled through the isle towards their seats. They all sat down and watched the previews.

"Have you ever read the books?" asked Jackie to Willow.

"Yep. A long time ago, but I remember what happens," Willow said. "This should be cool." The movie started and the five of them enjoyed being normal kids at the movies. 

Two hours later the credits rolled and the lights came back on. Everyone in the theatre got up and started making their way towards the exits.

"That was awesome," said Bobby. "We gotta see that again."

"Yeah. I'd go again just for Arwen," John said with a grin. Willow shoved her beanie back on her head, trying to make herself a little less conspicuous. 

"I gotta pee before we leave," said Jackie. 

"Me too," Rogue added.

"Me three," Bobby said. The three of them went off to the lavatories, leaving John and Willow by themselves. 

"You like the movie?" he asked to break the silence.

"Sure. Helm's Deep was just about the coolest battle scene I've ever seen. And I liked Gollum," said Willow.

"Yeah, Helm's Deep was pretty awesome," John agreed. "Jeez, how long does it take to freakin' pee? I wanna get out of here."

"Me too. People in large groups make me nervous," Willow said. 

"I doubt they can tell. Anyone could dye their hair green and wear green lipstick," John pointed out.

"That's true. I gotta get it cut soon, it's driving me nuts," Willow said, flipping it behind her shoulders.

"How much you gonna cut off?" he asked.

"I dunno. Probably chest length. I can't handle it when it's all the way to my ass like this," Willow said. "I'll do it before Christmas."

"Next week," John said with a nod. Willow sighed.

"Yep," she agreed. Bobby came out of the men's room. A few minutes later, Jackie and Rogue came out of the women's room.

"Lets get the hell out of here," John said before they started making their way towards the lobby. They were parked on the side of the theatre wall next to a strip of run down garden. Two men were there trying the handles to see if it was unlocked.

"Can we help you guys?" asked Jackie as they approached the car. The two men looked up, but didn't seem scared that they'd been caught.

"Just lookin'," said one of them innocently.

"Yeah right," John said.

"You realized that this is our car," Willow said. The innocent one's face split into a yellow smile. 

"I know," he said.

"So why don't you beat it?" said Bobby.

"Yeah, it's not like you can steal it now. Everyone's looking and we know what you look like," John said. 

"Maybe you kids should back off if you don't wanna get hurt," said the innocent one's partner. "We like your car."

"Look, don't make us mad. It's a bad idea," said Willow. 

"What're you gonna do?" said Innocent. "Huh? What's a pretty thing like you gonna do?" He ran the back of his slimy finger down her cheek. Willow glared at him. She closed her eyes for a second, and when she opened them, they were glowing green. The guy backed off and looked scared. Willow raised her hands and thick creepers burst from the snow-covered flowerbed. They wrapped around their waists and pinned them against the building with a loud thump. They kicked and struggled. 

"Let us go, you freak!" one of the shrieked. 

"I don't think so," Willow said. She held up one hand, holding the creepers how they were, and turned her right hand palm up and raised it, making a thick mat of exaggerated ivy grow up the wall and over the men's bodies. The ivy held fast, and they were stuck. 

"Be careful who you mess with," Willow told them as her eyes stopped glowing. "Let's get out of here, those plants aren't going to live forever in this weather." They all hopped in the car and left the car jackers behind them, stuck to the wall of the movie theatre under a mat of ivy.

"That was seriously cool," Jackie said. "I didn't know you could grow plants like _that_. I thought you meant just like, flowers and pretty things."

"Nah," Willow said. "I hope no one saw that."

"I don't think they did, we were kind of parked away from everyone else," Bobby said.

"That's probably why they were trying to steal the car," Rogue said. 

"Lets just not mention this to Scott or anyone else, alright?" Willow said. She was getting a little nervous. She was considered the adult of the group, even though she didn't feel like one. But she was still amused at how surprised that slimy guy looked when her eyes began to glow. It felt good to use her power. It had been over a month since she'd used it last. 

Christmas was coming, and the mansion was decked out in all sorts of decorations. But before Christmas could arrive, the older students held a giant secret Santa game. About thirty kids were involved, but Willow got Jackie anyway. A bunch of them took the bus to the mall on the twenty-third to buy Christmas gifts for their secret Santa. Willow looked all over the place and finally decided to buy Jackie a longer wallet chain. She was always complaining that the one she had didn't reach far enough. It cost her fifteen dollars, which exceeded the spending limit substantially. Willow didn't mind paying a little more for Jackie's gift. The two of them had become very good friends, after all. 

Willow didn't know what to expect when she woke up Christmas morning. Her eyes opened slowly. Everything seemed to be normal. Snow was falling softly outside and she could hear the vent below her bed blowing warm air into the room. She looked over her shoulder and found that everyone was still sleeping. All was peaceful. Above her bed a small stocking was tacked to the wall with 'Willow' written across the white, soft part at the top in glitter glue. She could see a couple candy canes poking out the top of it. She looked above everyone else's beds and saw identical stockings. She got up and kneeled on her bed. She untacked it and sat down. She took out the candy canes and discovered a chocolate Santa and a few other miscellaneous chocolates. She also found a card that was unmarked. She opened it and found a note and a picture. She grinned when she saw who it was. She read the note.

__

Chere-

Didn't I tell you you'd be hearing from me again? I hope you're doing ok in that school. If anyone picks on you, you tell me about it. They won't know what hit 'em. Get good grades. I might come up there and have a visit if the wind blows me in that direction. 

-Gambit

_PS: I hope that picture passes as a present. I may not be a millionaire, but I got one good lookin' face, no? Merry Christmas_

Willow smiled. Contrary to her previous beliefs, the friends she had made along the road prior to arriving at the school were still in her life. After all, she wrote Yolanda every week, and here was a Christmas card from Gambit. She used the tack from her stocking to pin the photo of Gambit up on the wall next to her bed. It was a Polaroid that looked like he held it in front of his own face and snapped the picture. He had put on his best suave grin. It made Willow smile again. She found a medium sized box on her nightstand. She took it and looked at the tag on the top. 

_Merry Christmas, Willow! Hope you're doing alright in school! Keep writing, and if you ever need anything, just ask. Happy Holidays!_

- the Washingtons 

Willow quietly stripped away the paper and opened the box. Inside was a CD player/radio. A new one. Willow was half extremely excited and half sad that Yolanda and her husband (Gerald was his name) spent so much on her. She really did hate it when people spent a lot of money on her. But a disk man with a radio built in! Christmas didn't get much better than that. 

Everyone else got up eventually and saw their stockings and Christmas presents. They turned on the light and shared what they got for Christmas.

"My dad really _doesn't_ hate me," Jackie said. "I'll bet Jared told him where I went."

"Your brother?" asked Willow.

"The bane of my existence, but brother is a good general term for him," Jackie muttered. "Oh well. He got me a 3 Doors Down CD, so I guess it's not all bad."

"Yolanda and her husband got me a disk man. It's got a radio too. I guess I'll use the radio until I buy some CDs," Willow said.

"Lucky bitch. My disk man's at home. All I got is my radio, and it's crappin' out on me," said Jackie. "What was I thinking when I ran away?"

"I dunno," Willow said with a shrug. "When are we gonna do that whole secret Santa thing?"

"Any time today," said Jubilee. "It _is_ Christmas." Willow dug the wrapped box out from under her bed.

"Here you go, then," said Willow. She gave the box to Jackie.

"Ooh! Whadja get me?" asked Jackie. 

"Open it, if you wanna know so bad," Willow said. Jackie tore open the box and took out the wallet chain.

"Awesome. Thanks," said Jackie. "Know what I could do with this? I could like, whip someone with it and shock the hell out of them."

"Yeah, you could probably do that...," said Willow, looking at Jackie like she was insane. Rogue came out of the bathroom and saw the Polaroid snap shot of Gambit.

"Who's that?" Rogue asked.

"That's Gambit," said Willow.

"The gah from the bus?" asked Rogue, looking at him closer.

"Yep, that's him," Willow said.

"Wow, he's cute," Rogue said. 

"Lemme see!" said Jackie. Willow took the picture off the wall and handed to Jackie. "Sexy," said Jackie nodding and smiling. The picture made it all the way around the room, and everyone agreed that Gambit was very attractive. There was a knock at the door. Kitty got up and opened it. Siryn stepped inside.

"Here, Willow," she said.

"Ooh, thanks, Siryn," said Willow getting up and taking the box from Siryn. 

"Merry Christmas," she said before walking away. Willow opened it and found a Weezer CD. _Maybe she heard me singing in the shower,_ Willow thought.

"Well, cool, now I've got something to listen to in my disk man," said Willow happily. Then she felt like crying. After a couple weeks of doing good, Willow all of a sudden wanted to cry her eyes out. This was the first Christmas that her mother didn't come in and wake her up, even though she knew that Willow had been awake for hours. This was the first time she didn't open presents under a real tree they both helped grow together. It was the first time that they didn't go to Denny's for Christmas breakfast. It was the first Christmas without eggnog shakes. 

Willow sat down and let the tears go. She didn't even try to fight them or wipe them away this time. 

"Oh, Willow! What's the matter?" asked Jubilee.

"She's never coming back, guys," Willow sobbed. "Ever." They watched her cry for a few seconds. Jackie came and sat down next to her. She put her arm around Willow's shoulder.

"It's alright, Willow," she said quietly. "We're here for you." Rogue and Jubilee came and sat down on Willow's bed too. Kitty came over as well.

"Let it all out, sugah," Rogue said. Willow sniffled and nodded. They sat there with her until she regained composure.

"Whaddya say we get some breakfast and challenge the boys to a snowball fight?" Jubilee suggested. 

"Mm'kay," Willow sniffled. They always found a way to make her feel better. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

****

Hi there. Right, so the next chapter is the part where they go to the museum. I'm sorry before hand to all the Pyro fans, I made him an asshole. Carry on….


	7. Ch 7

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*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Seven *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

After Christmas, winter seemed to melt away into spring. Willow was excited. She had gotten permission from Professor Xavier to grow things in an area of the sweeping lawns outside the mansion. She spent all day outside, focusing her power. Anyone that came near only stood silently and watched. 

"Hey," said the voice of Jean Grey softly as she came towards Willow, who was on her knees in the grass moving her hands like a flamenco dancer. Woody Clematis vines weaved in and out of each other, large pink blossoms and large arrow shaped leaves unfurling as they went. Jean silently looked on, transfixed by the plants. Willow's eyes glowed a soft green from concentration. Jean could see now what the Clematis vines were forming. It was a rectangle shaped table whose legs were attached to the ground. Willow stopped moving her hands like she had been. She moved both her hands, palms down, fingers pointed towards the ground, up slowly. Out of the ground and climbing up the leg of the table was a thin, yet soft mat of feathery green moss that was tinted slightly with dark red. Underneath the table, thousands of forget-me-nots bloomed, and close on either side grew two ferns. When this was done, Willow got up and moved to one side of the table where she moved her hands as she did with the table. Jean watched closely. The vines came out of the ground and weaved in and out of each other. After a few minutes Jean could tell that it was a chair with a beautiful tall, rounded back and large arm rests. Willow covered the seat and the arm rests with the same feathery moss. Forget-me-nots creeped a little ways up each chair leg and stopped, filling in the area under it. She got up and moved to the other side of the table. Here she made an identical chair. When she was done, she dropped her hands to her lap and blinked once, making her eyes stop glowing. She turned around and saw Jean.

"How long have you been here?" asked Willow.

"Long enough. This is beautiful," said Jean.

"You wanna siddown?" asked Willow, offering Jean one of the chairs.

"Oh, I couldn't, they're too pretty," said Jean.

"I made them for sitting, so you might as well have a sit," Willow said. "Try them out. I'll tell you if it starts to break." Jean made her way over to one of the chairs and sat down. It was really quite comfortable.

"Lovely," said Jean. Willow smiled with satisfaction. She got up, her legs shaking beneath her, and sat down in the other chair. 

"Now people can sit under this tree and talk, or have lemonade," said Willow with a tired sigh and a smile. "I hope people aren't afraid to sit on them."

"If they see us here, they'll know," said Jean. "You have a fantastic gift, you know. You can do so much with it."

"It has limits like no tomorrow, though," said Willow.

"All mutations do," said Jean. There was a pause in while Willow could hear the shouts of laughter from the children in the basketball court and the birds chirping in the tree above.

"What's the date today?" asked Willow. 

"March the first," Jean replied. 

"Okay. I sort of lost track of what day it was," said Willow. "I start to forget things when I work this hard."

"Are you going on the field trip, or are you going to stay here?" asked Jean.

"When is that again?" asked Willow, her cheeks turning pink from embarrassment.

"March twenty-second to the Museum down town. It'll be interesting, I promise," said Jean when she saw the half-skeptical look that flashed briefly across Willow's face. 

"I'll go," said Willow. "Sure." 

"You look tired. Maybe you should go take a nap," said Jean. 

"I've got homework," said Willow. "I got Geometry and four chapters of _Catcher in the Rye_ to read."

"Don't tire yourself out," Jean told her. 

"I'm fine. It's alright," Willow assured her. A breeze ruffled Willow's chest length hair. She'd gotten it cut after Christmas (which wasn't exactly the original plan,) and had been keeping it the same length ever since. "I love it here," she sighed almost sadly.

"I'm glad you do," said Jean. 

"I dunno what I'm going to do after this year. When I'm officially done with school," Willow said. She was obviously upset and had been worried about it for some time. "Guess I'll be on my own again."

"You don't have to if you don't want to," said Jean. "You could stay and teach."

"Ah, I dunno if I could teach...," Willow said, mumbling accidentally.

"Think about it. You're welcome to stay as long as you want," Jean said with a smile as she got up. 

"Thank you," said Willow. "I don't want to be any trouble, though."

"You're no trouble. You're quiet as a mouse and one of the most frugal people I know. Consider it, though," Jean said. "Are you going to come in?" 

"No, I'll stay here for a little while," said Willow.

"Alright. Talk to you later," said Jean.

"Bye," Willow said. She watched Jean walk towards the mansion. _She's so helpful, _thought Willow. She really did have quite a bit of homework to get done, but a rest didn't sound half bad. She shifted her weight in the chair, which creaked forgivingly, and closed her eyes. Homework could wait for a little while.

When Willow woke up, it was almost dark out. Her skin rose into goosebumps as a cold breeze touched her bare arms. She got up from her chair and made her way back to the mansion. A blast of warm air greeted her as she went in the back door. She was met with voices and laughter and the sound of dishes off in the kitchen being washed. She had never once took for granted the feeling of belonging and coming home where it was warm and she was wanted. 

"Come on, you guys, we're gonna be late to the bus," Willow told the others. It was the day of the field trip and Rogue and Jackie were still messing around in the bathroom.

"Shut up for a second, alright? We'll get there, don't worry," Jackie snapped at her as she brushed her hair. Willow rolled her eyes and snatched a black scrunchie off her end table. She tied her hair into a ponytail. Her bangs still weren't long enough to put back with the rest of her hair, so they hung down to her cheeks. The cowlick over her left eye kept the hair out of that eye at least. She put on her lighter, pinstriped coat as Rogue and Jackie came out of the bathroom. They hurried down the hall and down the stairs to the front of the mansion. Outside were two busses that were parked by the curb.

"Come on, you three," Storm said. She had a checklist in her hand. "That's everyone who said they were coming," she told Scott, who was driving the bus they boarded. Jean was driving the other one. Jackie, Rogue, and Willow made their way to the back where Bobby, John, and Jubilee sat. Storm got on the bus.

"Is everyone here?" asked Scott, turning around to the students. No one said anything; they just talked to the people around them. "Alright, we're leaving...," Scott yelled over the buss of kids. "Can't say I didn't warn them," he shrugged as he left the curb. 

In the back of the bus, Bobby had his arm around Rogue. She looked nervous whenever he got too close.

"Relax," Bobby said softly in her ear. Rogue smiled at him. Willow watched them for a few moments, then turned away. For some reason she felt very alone, which seemed silly. She was surrounded by so many people, why should she be lonely? But Rogue and Bobby...Willow couldn't help but feel a little...what was this feeling? She'd never had it before. Willow was eighteen years old, nineteen next month, and she was still discovering new emotions. She really _had_ been sheltered all her life. She dismissed the alien emotion and saved it for later analysis. She stuffed her headphones into her ears and cranked up the poppy sound of The Cars. She pressed her forehead against the bus window and watched Westchester's suburbs pass blurrily. She could see Rogue and Bobby cuddling out of the corner of her eye. That feeling was back again! What was it? It was going to bother Willow until she found out. All she knew was she wanted rip them apart. But that was horrible. They were both her friends. It really was a terrible thought. She was ashamed that she ever imagined doing such a thing. She gazed up at the clear, blue sky for the rest of the way there. 

The buses slowed to a stop outside the museum. All the kids in the bus got to their feet and filed out, joining the rest of the kids that had already come off the other bus. 

"Alright, everyone, quiet down!" called Storm over the large group of kids. "I expect you all to be on your best behavior. The museum was kind enough to let us come here today, and I want all of you to be respectful. I don't want you touching anything or being loud, and please, everyone try their very best not to make a scene." With that, they all herded inside behind Storm and Jean. Professor Xavier and Scott brang up the rear. Willow looked at everything and could hardly contain herself. The building was vast, white, and had great Roman columns holding up the entryway. Outside stood many statues of people she didn't know. But they were beautifully sculpted. Inside, there were displays of everything imaginable. Geological time, the evolution of humans, Indians, Egyptians, and things that they didn't even get time to see. They were walking through the cave man display when Jackie nudged Willow painfully on the arm with her elbow.

"Ow! What the-," Willow started to say.

"Come on. We're getting lunch," Jackie said. They slipped away and joined Rogue, Bobby, and John outside the main group. On their way to the food court, Willow could hear one of the many wall-mounted televisions blaring about something.

"Wait a sec," Willow said. She stopped to listen to the news report.

"An assassination attempt on the president today has left everyone shaken this morning. At approximately eleven o' clock, one or more mutants launched an assault on the White House, seriously injuring the White House security staff. Although there were no casualties, President McKenna has been evacuated to Camp David until a full search can be conducted...," the news reporter said.

"Wow," muttered Jackie. "People are nuts these days. Fucking bonkers."

"No kidding," John agreed. "Come on, I need food." They bought lunch from one of the many fast food restaurants in the museum's food court. Jackie and John had McDonalds, while Rogue, Bobby and Willow bought Taco Time. They picked out a table and sat down. 

"How the hell could someone seriously injure the _entire_ security staff at the White House?" wondered Bobby.

"I dunno. There'd have to be more than one of them," Jackie mused.

"Depending on what their mutation was. It is possible for a single person to attack the President," John pointed out. 

"It's hard to believe. And kinda scary. Ah mean, who says they won't try it again?" asked Rogue.

"We could have a dead president by tomorrow," John said half joking with a grin before he sipped his pop. 

"Be nice," Willow told him, hitting him on the shoulder with the back of her hand.

"I'm kidding. Am I allowed to joke?" he asked.

"Fine, fine," Willow sighed. 

"Every time something like this happens, more people start to hate mutants," said Bobby. 

"They join the dark side," John said with another amused grin. They got up and threw their trash away before coming back to the table. John got out his shark Zippo lighter and started flipping the top off and on making an annoying clicking sound. 

"Wouldja stop that?" asked Jackie, obviously annoyed.

"Free country," John said simply, flipping the lighter and smirking. Jackie reached over and held the tip of her index finger over John's shoulder. A large blue bolt of static electricity shocked him on the shoulder. John yelped in pain.

"Please," Jackie said in a serious voice.

"Quit fooling around Jackie, or we'll be kicked out," Willow warned her. This was one of her adult moments. Sometimes her friends really did act like kids.

"Relax," John said to Willow as he began to flip his lighter again. Jackie nearly glared at him.

"Hey. You, with the lighter," said a new voice. They looked up and saw two boys. They were both around seventeen and they had dark hair and eyes. One of them slipped a cigarette from the beat up pack he was carrying. He pocketed the rest of the cigarettes in the back of his jeans. "Can I have a light?"

"I don't think so," said John, flipping his lighter closed with a particularly loud snap. 

"Come on," said the cigarette boy's friend. 

"Why don't you ask someone else?" asked John, a smirk curling over his lips. Both of them were getting angry. Bobby smiled and sniggered, finding the two of them amusing.

"Come on, you aren't using it," said the one with the cigarette.

"Am too," John said shortly.

"One light."

"Um...no," John said. Willow could tell he loved making the two of them angry.

"Why're you being such a dick?" 

"Yeah, why're you being such a dick?"

"'Cause I can," John grinned. Bobby snorted. Although the whole situation was rather amusing, Willow was afraid of any impending violence that could befall John or the rest of them. 

"One light," said the one with the cigarette. This time he reached over and took the lighter from John. 

"Hey!" he cried, but the other boy stepped in front of the one with the cigarette. He lit his cigarette and tossed the lighter back to John over his friend's shoulder. He inhaled deeply, and as he did, John narrowed his eyes at the smoker. All at once the cigarette disintegrated and a plume of flame shot out of the end where the boy was inhaling. Not only did it scare the bejesus out of him and knock him over on his can; it lit his shirtsleeve on fire. Willow gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. John sniggered openly at this and he leaned over to get a better look at what he'd just done. Bobby quickly stood up and held out his hand. A blast of cold air extinguished the flames, but also froze all the moisture on the right side of the boy's face and arm. Willow found herself on her feet, looking to see if the boy was all right, but he wasn't moving. No one was, in fact. She looked around and found everyone in the food court frozen in place.

"Bobby, what'd you do?" asked Rogue quietly, looking around.

"Not this," Bobby muttered. 

"I did," said the voice of Professor Xavier as he steered his wheelchair through the stationary patrons. "And the next time you feel like showing off, don't." He was irritated. "After the attack on the President, I would have _thought_ that you'd have a little more sense. Come on, we have to go now." The five of them followed Xavier out of the food court where they met Jean, Storm, Scott and all the other kids. All the little kids were glaring at them as they passed, unhappy their trip was cut short because of the reckless big kids. Once they were outside the museum, the Professor let the people go, and they began to move again. Everyone piled on the buses and the students were driven home.

"It's lame that we have to go home. I was having some fun," John said. 

"You could have really hurt those two. Besides, _some_ of us are a little _nervous_ around _fire_," Willow said. 

"It really wasn't cool, man," Bobby told him. John grinned and almost laughed like he couldn't believe they were coming down on him.

"Do you guys have the sticks in your asses shoved up there _that far_? He would have been fine!" he told them in a sort of 'what, are you stupid?' voice. 

"Maybe, but it's probably best not to take your chances in public," Willow said.

"Oh, right, like you didn't pin those two greasy shmucks to the theatre wall last December," John said sarcastically.

"That was different. It was self-defense, and they were gonna steal our car. _And_, there was no one around," Willow said. "You lit a guy's arm on fire in the middle of a crowded museum."

"What about Bobby? You aren't bitching at him!" John said, trying to take the focus off himself.

"Bobby was _fixing_ the problem, not creating it," Willow shot back.

"I don't appreciate you trying to scold me like you're my mom, or something," John said, glaring at her. Willow was becoming intimidated. "I don't need to be told what to do, especially be someone like you." 

"And I thought _I_ was immature for my age," Willow muttered. "You've got me beat."

"You know what? Fuck you, Willow. You're always acting like an adult towards me, and it's really getting on my nerves," John spat angrily. "Either chill out and act like a kid, or don't hang around me. I'm sick of you." Willow tried to keep a straight face, but she felt like crying. She wasn't fairing too well against John's intimidating voice. She was angry and hurt at what he'd said. She turning away and put on her headphones. She turned up the volume as loud as it would go to drown everything else out. She wiped away the solitary tear that escaped and slid down her cheek. _Why's he so mean to me? Am I really that bad?_ She wondered sadly as the bus bumped towards the mansion. 

The bus unloaded and everyone made their way back to their dorms. Willow dragged her feet and lost the other four of them in the crowd of kids. Her face was pink and her head was down. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Willow looked up and found Jean walking beside her. Willow took off her headphones.

"What's wrong?" asked Jean.

"I just, uh...," Willow sniffed as she rubbed her eyes. "I just got in an argument with John. That's all."

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Jean. Willow nodded. When they got inside, Jean steered her down a few corridors to the room she shared with Scott. She opened the door for Willow and they both stepped inside. It was a nice room. Cool, cozy, and it smelled faintly of lavender. It might have been bath oil or a candle. Willow could tell it didn't come from an actual plant. 

"Have a seat," Jean said motioning to the edge of the bed. Willow sat down. Jean pulled the armchair in the corner over to the bed. Just like Yolanda had done. "What did he say to you?" asked Jean.

"I was sort of telling him off for doing what he did and he yelled at me and tried to stick the blame on Bobby, and then he told me to...to...," Willow didn't know if she wanted to repeat what John had said.

"Go on," Jean coaxed.

"He said 'fuck you, Willow.' But he sort of spat it at me and glared, and I...I dunno, I just felt really small all of a sudden, and I wanted to cry," Willow said, tears cascading down her face.

"You're just sensitive," said Jean. "John shouldn't have yelled at you. Is that the only thing that's been bothering you? You seem to have more on your mind..."

"That's cheating, you know," sniffed Willow. She thought she felt Jean shifting around in her mind a minute ago. 

"Do you want to talk about anything else?" asked Jean. 

"Well," Willow said slowly as she dried her tears with her sleeve. "When we were driving to the museum, I saw Bobby and Rouge sort of...holding each other, and for some reason it made me sort of...mad, I guess. Maybe mad's not the right word."

"Jealous," Jean said. "That's jealousy."

"It's a horrible feeling," Willow said sadly. "I hate it."

"Unfortunately every human feels jealous at some point," Jean said in her comforting, yet scientific way. 

"It's just that...I guess when I was watching them, I wondered why I don't have a Bobby...not necessarily Bobby himself, but I mean someone _like_ him," Willow confessed. 

"You just have to find the guy that's right for you. He's out there somewhere. I didn't ever think I'd find someone to love me, either, but then I met Scott," Jean said, a little smile forming at the mention of Scott. "You know, sometimes when a girl doesn't have any male influence in her life, like a father or a brother, they can become sort of...hungry for male attention."

"I don't think that's it. I mean, I don't _mind_ being alone, I just wish I had someone...d'you know what I mean?" asked Willow, unsure if she was making any sense.

"Of course," Jean said tenderly. "You'll find someone, I promise. You're very pretty, and you're nice. He's out there, don't worry."

"Thanks, Jean," Willow sighed. She was feeling a little better after her first real girl talk. 

"Is there anything else?" asked Jean. 

"No, I'm okay," Willow said. "I think I'm just gonna go upstairs and take a nap."

"Alright. I hope you feel better," Jean said.

"Me too," Willow said. She smiled all of a sudden. "One problem right after another," she sighed, shaking her head.

"That's life," Jean said lightly with a shrug. "But whatever hard stuff you live through will only make you stronger." Willow nodded before she headed for the door.

"Thank you for talking with me," Willow said, turning the doorknob.

"I'm always here to talk," Jean said. Willow smiled before she left Jean and Scott's room.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

****

Did I make Pyro too much of an ass? Please tell me! Kurt enters the story again in the next chapter. 


	8. Ch 8

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Eight *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

As she passed by the living room outside the kitchen, she saw the television still covering the story on the White House attack. She came in and sat down on the couch next to a little boy of about twelve whom she called Blinkin'. All he did was sit on that couch, watching TV and changing the channels with his eyes. Willow didn't know exactly what his mutation was, but thought it must've been some kind of telekinesis. 

"Hey, Blinkin'," Willow said and sat down.

"Hi," he said flatly. 

"What's on the telly today?" she asked, trying to sound cheerful. 

"Not much," he said. "Only this stupid story. They keep going on and on about it like the president actually got killed." 

"Anything new about it?" asked Willow. 

"Not so much. They found a knife in the president's desk with a tag that said 'Mutant Freedom Now' and some weird gas that was still in the air. They said they're checking to see what it is, but they always say that kind of stuff and never really tell you what it is," Blinkin' said. 

"I hate that," Willow said. "Are you gonna keep watching it, or are you gonna flip channels? 'Cause I'm not gonna sit here and watch TV with you if you're going to just flip channels." 

"There's nothing else on," Blinkin' said. He never really looked at people when he talked. He mostly had his eyes glued to the TV screen. Willow and Blinkin' sat on the comfortable couch and watched the story develop for well over an hour. Willow was about to get up and get something to drink when something new came on.

"A news update on the story that has shaken America: quick laboratory tests of the air in the oval office have come up with sulfuric gasses. These tests are of course cursory. More in depth tests will be run to see if the air is safe to breathe. A few of the security guards are conscious at this time, and say that they remember black smoke and a few quick glances at their attacker, whom they have described as 'a demon.' However, they did not get a close look at the mutant, so there are still no leads on who might have been so intent on killing America's president. Keep checking in or check out CNN.com for new details," the newscaster said. Willow's mouth was hanging open. Demon. Black smoke. No close look...Depending on their mutation, a single person could attack the White House..._Kurt_, she thought. 

"There's no way," she whispered. 

"What?" asked Blinkin'. Willow got up, her stomach in knots. _It can't be him!_ She thought frantically. Her knees were shaking. "What's the matter?"

"I uh...," she muttered. "Do you know where the Professor is? I really need to talk to him."

"Probably in his office," Blinkin' said. She walked off quickly in the direction of Professor Xavier's office, but broke into a run, not being able to take it. She opened the door quickly. The Professor looked up upon her entrance.

"Professor," she stammered. "I think I know who attacked the White House."

"Close the door," the Professor said. Willow did what she was told, then came closer to the desk where the Professor was sitting. Her whole body was shaking and she was ringing her hands a little. "I want you to calm down," he told her. She nodded. "Who do you think did this?"

"I don't want to get him in trouble," Willow said.

"Don't worry," said Xavier. "That's not how we run things here. Can you tell me a name?"

"Kurt Wagner," Willow said hesitantly. Then she became distressed. "Professor, he wouldn't hurt a fly if a gun was pointed to his head! You have to understand that this is totally out of character for him. I can't imagine him ever thinking of something like this, and I'm sure he wouldn't just _do_ it."

"I understand, Willow," said Xavier. "There may be outside elements that are playing into this situation. Now that we know who it is, we'll have to find him."

"Cerebro?" asked Willow. She'd only ever heard of it. She didn't know where in the school it was or how to get there, but she knew that Xavier used it to find mutants. The Professor nodded. 

"Why don't you come with me? This does involve you, after all," Xavier suggested as he steered his wheelchair out from the desk and around to where Willow was standing. 

"Alright," Willow agreed. She held the door open for him and followed him down the hall to one of the elevators. 

"Can you press the Basement Level two button, please?" asked Xavier. Willow pushed the button with her index finger and the elevator began its decent into unexplored territory. The door slid open a moment later, and Willow stepped out into a light cobalt blue hallway. It was lit over head by white lights. Doors lined the hallway and one of them at the end was round with an X across it. Xavier took up the lead and headed towards the round door. He stopped about five feet in front of it. The blue circle in the center scanned the Professor's eye and slid open, greeting him with a mechanical "Welcome, Professor." A long catwalk lit by small spot lights that were connected to the sides of the walk way extended out to a circular platform where a control panel was located. The Professor rolled into Cerebro and approached the control panel. When Willow stepped inside, she found that the room itself was vast and round. The door shut behind her and they were alone inside Cerebro. 

"Do you know how Cerebro works?" asked Xavier.

"No idea," Willow said.

"What it does is it connects my brain waves to every living person on the planet. I can specifically site out mutants because their life force is much stronger than a normal human being. This makes it easier to track down mutants. Now, I want you to stand perfectly still while I search for him," said Xavier. He put on a sort of helmet and closed his eyes. Suddenly, the walls of Cerebro were blown away. In its place at first was vast nothingness. Then a red pinpoint appeared. Then a couple more. They were all over the place, and soon, Willow could make out the shape of the continents of the Earth. Millions of red pinpoints were all over every single continent.

"The red dots are all the mutants," Xavier said. 

"There are so many," Willow murmured.

"We're not as alone as people think," Xavier said. "Now...where is our friend?" North America became more defined as they seemed to zoom in on Pennsylvania. One red dot in particular shown out from the rest. "There he is," Xavier whispered. Kurt's red dot came closer and closer until Willow could hear his voice. He was muttering in German and it sounded as if he was crying, or at least very upset. She could see him in red now. He was squatting down and rocking back and forth, his face in his hands and his tail limp on the floor. 

"Oh, Kurt," Willow said sadly. She hated seeing him so miserable. Suddenly he was getting farther and farther away, and she couldn't hear his voice any more. They zoomed out so much that eventually they were back inside Cerebro. Professor Xavier took off his headpiece and set it down on the control panel. He turned around looked up at Willow's troubled face. "That's him...but I know he didn't mean to do what he did. You saw him."

"I did indeed," the Professor "And I agree with you. I don't think that he was the only one involved in the attack. I have a friend that might know a thing or two about what's happened. It seems that a meeting is in order." The door of Cerebro slid open, and they both exited the great round chamber. "Do you recall hearing on the news about a year or so back about the mutant attack on Ellis Island?"

"I think so," Willow answered. 

"The attack was mostly because of my friend. His name is Erik Lehnsherr, also known as Magneto. He had a vision of completely wiping out the human race so that mutants could live free. This was of course nonsense, and he is in a place now where he has little chance of escaping, however...I wouldn't put it past him to arrange something like this," Xavier explained as they went down the hall back towards the elevator.

"And you'll talk to him about it?" asked Willow.

"Absolutely. I'll also keep an eye on our friend until he stops running. When he does, I'll send a team to go and collect him," Xavier told her as they got back into the elevator. "First floor, please," he said. Willow pressed the first floor button, and the elevator took them back up.

"I didn't get to know him very well, but...I would hate to see him get hurt," Willow said sadly.

"I'll work as quickly as I can," said Xavier. "And I promise to let you know where he's headed and when he stops." 

"Thank you," said Willow. "I hope you can get to him before someone else does."  
"We will," Xavier assured her as the elevator door opened in front of them. "I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't spread around how to get to Cerebro."

"I won't," Willow said. "I think I'm going to go up to the room."

"Alright, Willow. Please try not to worry," he said.

"I'll try. But I worry a lot," Willow said.

"I know you do," Xavier said with a tender smile.

"Bye, Professor," Willow said with a small smile.

"Good bye, Willow," Xavier said as they headed down the hall in opposite directions.

Willow couldn't sleep that night. She stayed awake, sitting on the edge of her bed and every once in a while, she'd sigh deeply. Kurt was alone, miserable, and scared somewhere, and Willow couldn't do anything for him. She still had yet to repay him for all the good he did. She sighed again.

"Will you quit that sighing and go to sleep?" muttered Jackie.

"I can help it. How can I sleep when someone I care about's alone and cold and scared?" asked Willow in a whisper. 

"I don't know, but if you're going to keep sighing like that, you should take a walk or go watch some TV with Blinky," Jackie told her. _Not a bad idea_, Willow thought. 

"I'll be back later," said Willow. Jackie grunted and rolled over. Willow got up and left the room. She wandered down the dark halls for a little while until the creaking sounds made by her feet sounded a little too loud for comfort. She made her way downstairs, and like always, Blinkin' was there watching TV. 

"Back again?" he asked.

"Yep," Willow said.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"Nope," she said as she sat down. "What're we watchin' tonight?"

"The Muppet Show," he said.

"Good choice," Willow said with a nod. They watched The Muppet Show for a few minutes until Willow asked, "Do you _ever_ sleep?"

"Only once in a great while," Blinkin' said. Kermit the Frog appeared on the screen with a guitar in his hands. 

"Greetings, Kermit the Frog here. Today, I'd like to talk about the color green," he began. After his speech, he began to sing 'It's Not That Easy Being Green.'

"Such truth," Willow sighed. "Me and Kermit the Frog. We're the only ones that know. It really _isn't_ easy being green."

"But at least you're not _all_ green. At least you're only green on your forearms," Blinkin' said, his eyes still fixed on the screen.

"True. Say, what's you're real name? I feel bad about calling you Blinkin' all the time," said Willow.

"It's Kyle," he said.

"You look like a Kyle," Willow told him. "Where are you from, Kyle?"

"New Jersey," he said. He took his eyes away from the screen. "Why d'you hang out with me all the time lately, anyways?"

"Because you're a cool little kid," Willow said. "And I know when I talk to you that you actually think about what I say. Lots of people, when you talk to them, you can tell they aren't really listening."

"I know how that feels," Kyle said. Silence fell over them and the focused on Kermit's song.

"But green is the color of spring," Kermit sang optimistically.

"That's true," Willow agreed. 

"And green can be cool and friendly-like. And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain!" Kermit sang.

"Amen, brother," Willow said with a single, important nod. Kermit finished his song, and Willow felt better about being somewhat green. Unfortunately, old Kermit the Frog couldn't help her with her other problems. She decided after The Muppet Show that she should at least try to sleep.

For the next two nights, Willow's dreams were horrible nightmares. She dreamed that Kurt was caught by the police and shot on the spot. She also dreamed that they tortured him first, then they killed him. Every time she had one of these nightmares, she'd wake up drenched in a cold sweat and would have to find something to do for the rest of the night. Her eyes looked horrible and blood shot during classes, she kept falling asleep. 

"Willow," called Professor Xavier after Geometry was over and everyone had gone either to their next class or up to their dorms. _Willow,_ he called telepathically. Willow woke up and wiped the spit from the side of her cheek.

"Hmm?" she asked. "Oh, crap, class is over, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," said the Professor.

"I'm going to be late for Literature," Willow groaned before she gathered up all her things. 

"I want you to skip it," Xavier said. "You've been losing sleep, haven't you?"

"Yeah," sighed Willow. "I've been having nightmares, so I usually go and watch TV with Kyle."

"I've been tracking Kurt for the past few days, and he seems to be slowing down. My appointment to see Erik is tonight, so I'll have to leave. I promise to check once more before I go. I assure you, he'll be alright," said Xavier. "But I really do want you to skip Literature and go get some sleep."

"I'll miss a huge discussion," Willow protested.

"School can wait," the Professor told her. Willow sighed and reluctantly decided to try and sleep. She went up to the empty room and flopped her tired body down onto the sheets of her welcoming bed. She fell into a dreamless sleep almost instantly. She woke up twice. Once from Rogue coming in and getting her shoes out from under her bed, and another from Kitty coming in, seeing Willow asleep, and going out. Apart from these two interruptions, Willow's nap was peaceful and it filled her with energy when she decided to get up. She looked at the clock on Jubilee's nightstand. It read 6:14. Willow was astonished at how long she had slept. She did feel better though. She got up and headed downstairs in search of her friends. 

Just as she was passing through the foyer, the door opened and a man with a bag over his shoulder entered. They stared at each other for a moment. He looked a little dangerous with his long side burns and piercing eyes.

"Hi," he said gruffly. 

"Hi," Willow said back. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I need to see the Professor," said the man. "D'you know where he's at?"

"Nope," Willow said. 

"Logan!" cried Rogue's happy voice from Willow's right. She and Bobby came into the foyer, and Rogue gave Logan a light hug. 

"Hey," he said with a smile. "Who's this?" asked Logan, looking at Bobby.

"This is Bobby, he's my-," Rogue began to say.

"Boyfriend," Bobby finished. He held his hand out for Logan to shake it, and when he took it, Willow could see Logan's hand turn slightly blue with ice crystals. After Bobby let him go, Logan sort of shook his hand to get it warmer. 

"Boyfriend, huh?" Logan said. "How do you guys, uh...."

"We're working on it," Bobby told him. 

"So who's this one?" asked Logan, gesturing to Willow.

"Oh, this is one of my good friends. Willow, this is Logan," Rogue said. 

"Hi," Willow said.

"Hi," he said once more. Willow nodded. 

"Hey, Logan," said the voice of Jean as she came down the stairs. 

"Hi, Jean," said Logan. Storm and Scott followed Jean down the stairs. They looked like they might be going somewhere.

"Are you guys going somewhere?" asked Willow.

"I'm going to go with the Professor to visit someone," said Scott. "And Storm and Jean are going to collect the mutant over in Boston."

"Can you do some babysitting, Logan?" asked Jean. 

"Babysitting?" Logan repeated, his nose wrinkling slightly. Logan looked as if he'd remembered something. He took a ring of keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Scott. "Your motorcycle needs gas," he said. Scott caught the keys but then chucked them back.

"Fill 'er up," said Scott.

"I need to talk to the Professor," Logan said.

"He's down in Cerebro getting last minute coordinates," Scott told him. "Why do you need to talk to him?"

"None of your business," Logan said. Willow could tell there was some tension between Scott and Logan. Perhaps even dislike.

"Come on, Willow, we're leaving," Jean said.

"Am I coming?" asked Willow.

"Sure. Come on," said Jean. 

"Wait, I gotta get my shoes on and I haven't got my coat on," Willow said a little panicky. She hated when she had to rush. 

"Don't worry about it. You can wear one of the uniforms," said Jean.

"Hey, why don't Ah ever get to go on missions?" asked Rogue.

"Because your friend isn't in danger, and Willow's a couple years older. You'll have your time, Rogue, don't worry," said Jean. Willow flashed Rogue a quick, helpless smile that said 'sorry' quite plainly before she followed Jean and Storm to the nearest elevator. They took it down to the second basement level, the same level that held Cerebro, and got out. They headed down the opposite direction of the large round door. In a display case, several uniforms were hung up. Storm opened up the glass door and got one out for herself, Jean, and Willow. Storm gave Willow a pair of boots that looked like they would probably end just below her knee. They were lace ups with three buckles over the top. 

"Can I just go get my coat and shoes? I dunno if I want to wear one of those...," Willow said hesitantly.

"If you really don't want to wear it, you can go get your shoes," Jean said. Willow hurried back to the elevator and pushed the second floor button. She got out and walked quickly to the room. Jackie was inside and looked up when Willow came in.

"What're you in such a hurry for?" asked Jackie.

"I'm going with Storm and Jean to go find Kurt," said Willow. "Where're my shoes?" 

"Under that towel there," Jackie said. Willow found her black converse all stars.

"Thanks," said Willow.

"How come you get to go?" asked Jackie.

"Be_cause_. Kurt's my friend," Willow said as she stuffed her feet in her shoes and tied the laces. "I need," she said slowly. "My hoodie."

"Under your bed," Jackie said. Willow threw the blanket that was blocking her view up onto her bed and snatched her hoodie. She put it on and stuck her thumbs through the holes at the edge of the sleeves. She tied her hair back into a ponytail at the base of her neck. "When're you coming back?" asked Jackie

"I dunno," Willow said. "But pretty much all the teachers are gone for tonight. One of Rogue's friends is babysitting. He's sorta scary lookin', so you might wanna keep that wallet chain handy." Jackie grinned.

"Word," she said mischievously. 

"I gotta go. Talk to you later," said Willow. 

"Bye. Don't get killed," Jackie joked. 

"Same to you," Willow returned. She left the dorm room and headed back down to the second basement level where Jean and Storm were in their uniforms. They still looked incredibly uncomfortable. 

"Ready to go?" asked Jean. 

"Sure," Willow said. Storm opened the door at the very end of the hallway. A light automatically flickered on. Willow's jaw dropped as soon as she saw what was inside the gigantic room. A jet, not like one she'd ever seen, loomed over them. "We've got a _jet_?!" Willow asked.

"We've got lots of things we don't let you know about," Jean said. Willow followed Jean and Storm into the jet by way of a hatch that was already open. Willow climbed the stairs of the hatch and marveled at what was inside. The jet could be driven by two people and behind the pilot and co pilot seats were around ten passenger seats. Jean and Storm sat down in the two pilot seats and fastened their seat belts. 

"You might want to sit down and buckle your seat belt," Jean said. 

"Oh, right," Willow said. She sat down in the nearest seat and fooled around with the seat belt until she figured out how to fasten it. Storm had turned the jet on, which hummed all over the place. Willow was a little nervous. She had never flown in a plane before. She took a big breath as the ceiling opened up above them and Storm put up the landing gear. The jet hovered for a moment, then rose through the gap in the ceiling. The jet hummed louder for a second before taking off, gaining altitude much quicker than any normal plane. They leveled out when they were far above the clouds. The sun had begun to set, and Willow could see the faint twinkling of stars as the light failed.

"I hope Kurt's alright," Willow said. 

"I'm sure he's fine," Storm said from the front. 

"How long do you think it'll take to get there?" asked Willow.

"Not too long. An hour, maybe," said Storm.

"Good," Willow said. She felt something inside the long pocket in the front of her hoodie. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it before. She took it out and discovered that it was her Discman. Inside was a Jimmy Eat World CD. _Lucky me,_ Willow said putting on her headphones. She watched New York pass below them when clouds were absent. Flying wasn't too bad. They hit turbulence a couple times, but it didn't scare her or anything. She looked at the battery level on her Discman. The batteries were all the way charged, but she didn't like not hearing what was going on. She put the headphones around her neck and listened to the calm hum of the jet's engines.

****

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

****

Aww, poor Kurt. It gets worse before it gets better!


	9. Ch 9

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Nine *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A/N: Okay, before you read this chapter, I oughta inform you that the focus switches from Willow to Jackie in the middle. I couldn't stand leaving out the school being attacked. Until they are all reunited, the focus may switch back and forth like it does in the movie. Just a heads up.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

After almost an hour of traveling, Professor Xavier's voice came over the jet's radio.

"I've got the coordinates now," Xavier said. "I'll send them to you."

"Thank you," Jean said. 

"Where are we?" asked Willow.

"We're about twenty minutes outside Boston," Jean told her. An anxious knot was growing in Willow's stomach. She watched out the window like a hawk for the next twenty minutes. She was looking for the church, but the altitude being what it was, and considering how dark it was outside, she would have never been able to see it. Soon the jet began to drop and start to land. Willow felt about ready to explode. She couldn't take the suspense. They dropped lower and lower until Willow could feel the vibration of the landing gear coming out from under them. She felt the jet bump to a stop. She fiddled with the seat belt to get it off. Storm dropped the hatch and she and Jean got up. Willow began to climb down the stairs but Jean stopped her. 

"Maybe you should wait for us in here," she said.

"What? Why?" asked Willow. Her face reflected the distress in her voice.

"We don't really know if he'll be hostile or not," Jean told her.

"Hostile?" Willow laughed. "Not Kurt. Plus, I can defend myself," Willow said. 

"I know you could, but I'd feel better if you stayed here," Jean said. "We'll bring him back with us."

"Please?" asked Willow.

"I would also feel more comfortable if you at least waited outside for us," said Storm.

"Outside, okay. Just not in here," Willow said. They climbed down the steps and Willow found herself in front of the church from back in November. New graffiti had been sprayed on it. In huge, crude letters was the message 'Nature Laughs Last.' Jean and Storm approached the doors carefully at first, then Storm blew the doors wide open with a powerful gust of wind. Willow watched them enter and saw pigeons inside take flight. Suddenly, like she had heard when she first entered the church, Kurt's voice echoed off the church's stone walls in German. Willow inched closer to the church so she could see a little better. She saw Jean grin.

"He's a teleporter," she told Storm. "Hey," she said, staring up into the rafters. "You wanna come down and talk to us?"

"Gehen Sie aus!" Willow heard Kurt growl. Months of taking online German classes made her recognize what he said. _Get out._

"Are you sure you don't wanna talk?" Jean asked him sweetly. She looked at Storm. Willow could hear thunder rolling over head. A bolt of lightning came down and struck somewhere inside the church. Willow heard Kurt yell in surprise. She gasped and got closer to see what was going on. She saw Kurt hanging upside down in mid air. He looked very frightened.

"Please don't kill me!" he said. "I didn't mean to hurt anyvan!" 

"We're not going to hurt you," Jean said. "We've got someone with us who's been anxious to see you." Kurt's eyes widened. He looked scared of who or what she meant. Willow walked slowly up the stairs and into the church. She smiled at Kurt, who's mouth was open in a mixture of fear and surprise.

"Hi, Kurt," she said softly with a smile. She was so happy to see him, but so sad to see how frightened he seemed to be. 

"_Weide_!" he said, struggling in the air to get to her. He teleported out of Jean's grasp and appeared in front of Willow. "Es tut mir leid!" he cried miserably. He hung his head and began mumbling in German. "Ich bedeutete nicht was ich tat, ich verstehe, wenn Sie mir nicht verzeihen, den ich über mich so beschämt bin!" He shook his head the whole time he rattled this off, and he looked as if he was almost in tears.

"I didn't understand any of that except 'I'm sorry,'" Willow said with a hint of a smile. 

"I said zat I didn't mean vat I did, and zat I understand if you'll never forgive me, and zat I'm ashamed of what happened," he said, avoiding her concerned eyes.

"I forgive you," she said softly. "Of course I do."

"I don't deserve your forgiveness," he said sadly.

"Sure you do! You've done too many nice things for me to not forgive you," she said. He looked reluctantly into her eyes like a puppy might after he's gotten in trouble for chewing up a shoe. 

"I failed you. I broke my promise. I couldn't get you to ze school," said Kurt. "I am sorry."

"You didn't fail me! I probably never would have found it if it wasn't for you. Come'er," she said, pulling him gently into a hug. Kurt was shocked at what was happening. _She's touching me,_ he thought amazed. He hesitantly put his arms around her and let his head drop onto her shoulder. His cheek brushed hers. His skin was very soft, even the tattoos. His whole body was shaking, but not too visibly. 

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to her. "I feel as though I've deceived you." 

"You haven't. It's alright, Kurt," she comforted him. Jean and Storm watched the both of them quietly. "I know you didn't do it on purpose."

"No, of course not," he said quietly, his voice muffled by her sweatshirt. "I vish it never happened." He hugged her a little tighter, then inhaled sharply and pulled away, his odd three fingered hand flying up to a spot right below his left shoulder.

"Are you hurt?" she asked him, looking concerned.

"Only a little," he said. 

"What happened?" asked Jean.

"I think I vas shot," Kurt told her.

"Shot?" Willow cried in shock.

"Would you mind if we took a look at it?" asked Jean. Kurt shook his head. Jean went out into the jet and came back with a first aid kit. They had him take off his coat and shirts and lay down on the altar that Willow had slept on four months ago. Willow looked at his shoulder and saw a small, red bullet hole. She was still worried about him. She found herself blushing a little while looking at Kurt's exposed torso. She didn't know why. For all she knew, they were just friends, nothing more. She didn't think he saw. She hoped he didn't. What would he think? 

"Can you tell us about what happened in the White House?" asked Jean as she examined him.

"Ven I vas inside, I could see myself attacking za guards. I tried to stop, but I couldn't control myself," Kurt told them. "Perhaps He is testing me," he said, looking over at the crucified Jesus statue.

"And you don't remember anything before the White House?" asked Storm.

"No...nasing right before...except _Weide_," he said looking up at Willow with sad eyes. She smiled at him. "I'd been doing so much teleporting zat ven I tried to get back here, I vas taken...but I don't remember by who or ver zey took me."

"This is all my fault," Willow said.

"No. It vas my choice to take you to New York," Kurt said. "I did zis to myself." There was a long pause. Storm had been looking at Kurt's tattoos inquisitively.

"Who did these?" asked Storm.

"I did," Kurt said. 

"They're beautiful," Storm told him. Kurt smiled slightly at this. Jean had him roll over so she could better see the extent of the injury.

"And this?" asked Storm, motioning to a raise circle on the back of his neck. He reached behind him and touched it but said nothing.

"The bullet's still in there. I'm going to take it out, but it's going to hurt," Jean warned him. He nodded. Jean held her hand above Kurt's shoulder and concentrated. The bullet began to work its way towards the surface. Kurt gritted his sharp teeth and groaned. Willow watched as the bullet came out of the entrance wound. Jean caught it and set it aside. She used gauze to clean the old and new blood off Kurt's shoulder. She used some medical tape to stick a thick piece of gauze over the wound. 

"Sank you," Kurt said.  
"Not a problem," Jean said with a satisfied smile. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Jackie sat on the floor of the dorm room bathroom feeling like there was a rock in the bottom of her stomach. She groaned and leaned over the open toilet, ready to let all hell break loose if she had to. She thought that she might be feeling a little better until she threw up everything she'd eaten over the course of the day. When she was done she groaned again. The taste in her mouth was horrible and acidic. When she was absolutely sure there was nothing more to be thrown up, she reached over to the handle with a shaking hand and flushed the toilet. She got her feet shakily and washed her mouth out with cold water. She splashed some over her face and wondered what had made her so sick. She went over in her mind all that she'd eaten that day and decided that it must have been the left over pizza that she'd snagged for lunch. She honestly had no clue how long it had been in there, but it tasted fine...until now. 

She turned off the light and decided to go downstairs for some Sprite. Maybe that would cure her churning stomach. Then she remembered that Logan was somewhere in the house and Willow saying how he looked dangerous. She grabbed her chain off her and Jubilee's nightstand and tip toed downstairs as best she could. She walked quietly into the kitchen, passing Blinky on her way in. She came across Bobby, who was eating ice cream on the island in the middle of the kitchen. 

"Hey Jackie," Bobby said.

"Yo," she answered unenthusiastically. 

"What's the matter?" he asked.  
"I feel like crap. I just got done tossing my cookies all over the damn place," she said. The she noticed out of the corner of her eye someone standing there. She looked over and saw Logan. She lifted an eyebrow at him before she went and dug through the refrigerator.

"Who are you?" asked Logan.

"Jacklynn Dunn," Jackie said, still looking around. "You can either call me Jackie or Blackout."

"Why Blackout?" asked Logan.

"'Cause that's what I do. I black shit out," Jackie said. She found a two-liter bottle of 7UP that was almost gone. She got it out and closed the door. She found a cup and poured herself a glass. 

"Whaddya mean, you black shit out?" asked Logan.

"Just think of me like one big electric charge," Jackie said. "I go anywhere from static electricity to serious voltage, but I gotta either be touching what I want to fry or have a conductor. Hence the chain."

"You weren't thinkin' of using that on me, were ya?" asked Logan.

"Of course not, what makes you say that?" asked Jackie sarcastically before she drank half her soda in a single gulp.

"I like you, kid," Logan said with a smirk. "I think we're gonna get along." Jackie grinned before slowly draining the cup. Just as the liquid was coming away from the bottom of the cup, she could see a shadow move across the doorway through the plastic and left over carbonation. She gasped, causing the soda to go down the wrong pipe. She dropped the cup and coughed and sputtered.

"Holy shit!" she wheezed. "There's someone..," she coughed. "Fuck..." Bobby patted her on the back. "Quit it! There's _someone in here_!" 

"What?" asked Bobby.

"Someone just crossed the fuckin' _door_!" cried Jackie. Bobby listened carefully. After a few seconds he heard a heavy footfall and a creak from upstairs.

"I think you're right," he whispered. 

"Quiet," Logan said sharply he walked out of the kitchen slowly, sniffing the air as he went. He disappeared into the shadows. Jackie and Bobby watched in suspense and listened. A silhouette came towards the door, and Jackie could tell that it wasn't Logan. Just as the intruder reached the kitchen, he cocked a long gun at Bobby. Logan came up behind the man and put him in a headlock. Suddenly, a high pitched, inhuman scream pierced Jackie's eardrums. Her hands flew to her ears and she crouched onto the floor. The man began firing the gun out of surprise and pain. Jackie shoved Bobby behind the island and dove behind it herself. They both sat against it, covering their ears from the unearthly sound. Jackie knew that it was Syrin, a girl that lived down the hall from her, and she wished that she would stop before her eardrums exploded. All at once, the sound ceased and Jackie and Bobby both uncovered their ears. 

"Huuuuaagh!" Logan yelled. Jackie could hear the sound of sliding metal before the gun stopped firing. She peeked over the island, which resembled Swiss cheese, and saw Logan, three blades protruding from each fist. They slid back in and she looked at the dead intruder on the floor. "There's someone in the house," Logan agreed. Jackie grabbed her chain off the counter.

"Stay here," Logan said as he went out into the hall. Bobby and Jackie looked at each other for a moment.

"I have to find Rogue," Bobby said.

"Well you're not leaving me here alone," Jackie said. She was very frightened.

"Come on, then," Bobby said getting up. They went as quietly as possible into the dark hallway. There was no one in sight.

"We should take the elevator," Jackie whispered. "It's faster and we have less chance of running into someone."

"Good point," Bobby said with a nod. Jackie held her chain balled up in her fist as to not make any noise. They walked quickly and quietly to the nearest elevator. Jackie could now hear people screaming upstairs. 

"Oh, shit," she squeaked. "This is really bad."

"Shh," Bobby whispered. They reached the elevator and pushed the up button. The doors slid open, throwing a pool of light onto the hallway floor. Before they even stepped inside, they could hear the clomping of boots coming down the hall towards them. They jumped in and punched the second floor button. The footsteps were coming closer, and the doors weren't closing.

"Fuckin' _do_ something!" Jackie cried.

"I'm trying!" Bobby said, still pushing the second floor button. Finally the doors slid closed, and Jackie could hear something small hit the doors and stick.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Jackie breathed. 

"Get ready to attack someone as soon as the doors open," Bobby said.

"We're not gonna...you know, _kill_ anyone...right?" asked Jackie.

"Try to just injure them so they won't get up," Bobby advised.

"I dunno if I can do that. To tell you the truth, I don't have all that much control over it," Jackie said. 

"Try to just stun them, or something. Nothing over low voltage," Bobby said. The elevator dinged, making Jackie jump. She bit her lip as the doors slid open. She let her chain dangle below her fist. Several kids ran past in a panic. Bobby and Jackie got out of the elevator and looked around.

"I can't see a damn thing in the dark. I wish I could see color, it would _really_ help right now!" Jackie grumbled. They hurried down the hall towards Jackie's dorm room, but as they turned the corner, they were met with three intruders armed with guns. Jackie gasped and stopped in her tracks. One of them raised his gun at her. Bobby stuck out his hand and a blast of ice froze the man's hands. Jackie quickly swung the chain out, which wrapped around the gun. Violent blue sparks lashed out from Jackie's hand, up the chain, through the gun, and finally shocking the intruder. He crumpled onto the floor. This all happened very fast, and it took the other two a moment to figure out what had just happened. They raised their guns and Jackie wrapped the long chain around one of their wrists. With another blue shock of electricity, the man was down. Bobby had taken care of the other one by making him so cold that he dropped to the floor shivering. 

"Lets go," Bobby said. They stepped over the fallen intruders and headed into the dorm. There was no one there. "Rogue?" Bobby called. There was no answer. 

"She's not here," Jackie said. They ran back down the way they came, dodging the people they'd just attacked. A group of kids ran down the hall in front of them, one of which was John. 

"John!" Bobby cried. John stopped and came down the hall towards Bobby and Jackie. "Have you seen Rogue?" 

"No," John said. 

"We gotta find her," Bobby muttered. 

"Didja check her room?" asked John.

"Yeah, she's not there," Bobby said. They run down the corridor, and were about to take a right.

"Bobby!" cried Rogue. She ran towards them. "Come on, this way!" she said directing them down the hall that she had just came from. A bright light suddenly lit up the round window in front of them. A moment later, it exploded, sending chunks of glass and wood everywhere. Rogue screamed and more men came in through the window. They turned back and ran downstairs. People were coming in through the side door as well. They bolted into the entryway where more of them.

"Oh shit...," Jackie whispered. The men raised guns right before they heard Logan let out a yell. He jumped over the banister above them, his metal claws out, and impaled two of the intruders. They crumpled onto the floor before two more tried to attack Logan. He stabbed them both and threw them backward into the wall.

"Go," Logan said. Bobby led the way down one of the halls.

"This is it," he said. He pushed on a section of wood paneling, and it slid open. 

"Get in there," Logan said. The four of them piled inside.

"Logan!" Rogue cried just before Logan shut the panel. There was a long, dark passage before them, and the door was stuck. Rogue struggled to get it back open, but it wasn't budging.

"Come on, Rogue!" cried John. "We have to get outta here!"

"I agree with John, those guys are everywhere!" Jackie said. 

"Please, Rogue," Bobby said. He reached out to take her hands away from the panel, but recoiled when he noticed she had no gloves on. 

"We can't just leave Logan out there, they'll kill him!" Rogue cried.

"He can take care of himself!" John said.

"Please," Rogue said helplessly. Jackie looked over at John and sighed, a look of mingled concern and fear. John looked at her, trying to read her face. Finally he sighed.

"Fine," John muttered.

"The door's stuck," Rogue told them. They all got behind it and pulled, trying their best to move it. Finally, after a minute or so of trying to get the panel to open, it slid to the side. Logan was standing perfectly still while a large man with shining spectacles was grinning and talking to him. There were about six men guarding the one talking to Logan. Bobby put his palm flat against the wall. Jackie watched as a trail of ice slid across the wall. When it got between Logan and the man with the glasses, it began to spread into the air. Soon there was a wall made of solid ice between Logan and the man.

"No! No!!" cried Logan. The silhouette of the man touched his hand to the wall of ice. Logan put his hand over that of the silhouette.

"Logan, come on!" cried Rogue. 

"You go, I'll be fine," Logan said.

"But we won't," Rogue said, a note of sadness registering in her voice. The man on the other side of the wall stuck something into the ice. Logan took one more backward glance before he climbed through the opening. The panel shut just before an explosion rocked the building around them. They ran down the slightly damp passageway. There were several passages leading off from the main hall, all of which were labeled. Logan headed down one marked 'garage' in white stenciled letters. He opened the door at the end of the passage and they followed him into the garage. Logan approached a blue car.

"I'll drive," John said, stepping in front of Logan and reaching for the handle. 

"Maybe next time," Logan said. Rogue took shotgun and the rest piled in the back. 

"This is Cyclops's car," Bobby said.

"Oh really?" Logan muttered, jamming a single claw into the ignition. He started up the car and opened up the garage door. They sped out of it, leaving the school behind them.

"Here," Rogue said taking off the dogtag and chain she kept tied around her wrist. Logan took it.

"What the hell just happened back there?" asked John, thoroughly rattled.

"Stryker. His name is Stryker," Logan said.

"But who is he?" asked Rogue.

"I don't remember," Logan said with frustration. A few minutes of silence passed, and Jackie waited for the uncomfortable lump of anxiety to fade away. John leaned over her to get between the front seats.

"I hate uncomfortable silences," he said pushing the button for the radio. Bye Bye Bye from N*SYNC blasted through the speakers. John winced.

"Turn that crap off!" cried Jackie. He pushed another button and the radio face lowered, exposing a compartment. 

"That doesn't look like the CD player...," John said. 

"Get back," Logan said. John sat back in his seat but still peered around the seat to see what he had done. A devise came out of the compartment. Logan took it off its clip and looked at it. One side of it extended down with a snap.

"What is that? A cell phone?" asked Jackie.

"I dunno," Logan said. He put it to his ear but could only hear static. He slid the bottom up and set it down.

"Where are we going?" asked John.

"Jean and Storm were headed to Boston. We'll try to meet up with them."

"My parents live in Boston," Bobby muttered.

"Good," Logan said. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

****

Okay, guys, this next chapter is the start of the fluffy-ness between Kurt and Willow. I'm not really sure what exactly a Mary-Sue is, but I hope since my readers have been praising me that this story isn't one, that this next chapter has no Mary-Sue-ness involved. All I can say is it gets sorta cute from now on between them, but their relationship doesn't take over the story line. At least I hope it doesn't 'cause that wasn't my aim….anyway, I've done enough rambling… 


	10. Ch 10

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Ten *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"I'm not getting any answer from the mansion. Or from Charles. I think something's wrong," Jean said, a cell phone in her hand. 

"Let's just keep trying. There may not be anyone around to hear the phone," Storm said. 

"If Logan's ignoring it, I'll kill him," Jean said. Willow and Kurt sat up on a beam in the rafters so that they could talk without Jean and Storm hearing anything but a mixture of echoing voices. 

"Are you feeling any better?" asked Willow. Until about five minutes ago, he was still shaking. 

"Sort of," Kurt sighed. "I just vish I could remember vat happened before."

"Yeah," Willow said quietly. "It'll be better once we get back home. Everyone's nice there, and they'll make sure you're alright."

"I'm a little nervous to leave. Even other mutants are frightened by me," Kurt said. 

"I've never been frightened by you," said Willow. "And I don't know why anyone should be. You're so nice to everyone."

"It's not zat," Kurt said, shaking his head sadly. "Ven you look different zen everyone else, zey look at you, no matter how nice you are. It vas different in za Munich Circus, though. I vas almost accepted zer. By ze audience and ze crewmembers. To zem, I vas just an acrobat in unusual make up. I vas ze Incredible Nightcrawler, and everyone cheered ven I finished my act. Now I'm not even ze Incredible Nightcrawler anymore. I'm just plain old Kurt Vagner." He hung his head and looked down at his hands that were folded in his lap.

"You're more than just plain old Kurt Wagner. You're ze _Incredible_ Kurt Vagner," Willow said softly in his accent with a smile. Then her pale cheeks turned pink. "At least you are to me," she said quietly. _Maybe that was a dumb thing to say..._she thought for a moment. Kurt smiled, but didn't look at her. 

"Sank you," he said. Willow took advantage of the particularly long, uncomfortable silence.

"Know what?" Willow asked.

"Vat?" asked Kurt, his eyes shifting over to her. 

"When I first met you, I didn't even think twice about how you looked," Willow said.

"Now you're lying," Kurt told her seriously, his eyes piercing through her. 

"I don't lie, especially to you," Willow told him just as seriously. Kurt shook his head in disbelief. He was sure that she was lying to him. How could she possibly be telling the truth?

"You jumped a half a foot in ze air ven you first saw me," he said.

"Well it's not every day someone just _appears_ in front of you, especially in a crummy neighborhood at night," Willow told him honestly. "That's what made me jump."

"I really vish you vould stop lying," Kurt said quietly.

"I really wish you'd stop accusing me of lying. 'Cause I'm not," Willow said.

"How could you not see a demon when you look at me?" asked Kurt. "Everyone else does."

"Am I everyone else?" asked Willow.

"Vell, no...," Kurt said slowly.

"There you have it. I think you're being very cruel to yourself," Willow said. 

"But all of it is true!" argued Kurt. "Ven people run away from me, zey say 'look out, it's a demon! Run...,'" His voice trailed off in sadness. He sighed. 

"But it _isn't_ true. That's my whole point," Willow said. "You don't look like a demon, and you certainly don't act like one. You're the nicest guy I've ever met. Also the most depressed. I think you need to look on the bright side of life more often."

"I do," Kurt said, sounding a little offended.

"You don't act like you do," Willow told him.

"I try...," Kurt said quietly. Willow smiled warmly at his meek behavior. 

"There aren't that many things to be unhappy about. I mean, what, you've got blue skin. Big deal. My friend Rogue can't even _touch_ anyone with her skin. She could kill people that way. Think about how bad _that_ would be," Willow pointed out.

"Zat _vould_ be a little vorse," Kurt said slowly.

"And I bet everyone wishes they had a tail. I know I used to," said Willow.

"It's very handy sometimes," Kurt admitted with a nod and a pair of raised eyebrows.

"And I dunno about you, but I think yellow eyes are cool," Willow said.

"Your eyes are a little yellow," Kurt pointed out.

"But they're mostly green," Willow said.

"I like zem," Kurt said. Willow's cheeks turned pink again and she looked away from him with a smile. "Green is van of my favorite colors."

"Danke," she muttered.

"Bitte schön," Kurt said. He was smiling now. Willow was glad she was able to make him feel better. "I'm sorry for all of zis. I'm usually pretty optimistic about my life and my appearance; it's just that lately...lately I've just been a little lonely. It gets harder to keep your chin up ven zer's no one around to see."

"I can understand that," Willow said. 

"Hey," Storm called up into the rafters. Willow and Kurt looked down. "Why don't you guys come down? We're leaving now." Kurt leaned over and put his arms around her. He gave her a quick smile. The rafters were gone, and they were down on the floor. Kurt let her go and they headed out to the jet.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The sun rose over the horizon as they drove. Bobby and Rogue were asleep, but John and Jackie sat awake. Jackie was fiddling with her chain. She was chewing on her lip a little bit, feeling bad about hurting the intruders, but liking the rush she got from it. The chain buzzed a little with electricity.

"Careful with that thing," John muttered when he detected the sound. Jackie set it in her lap. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"Nothing," Jackie said quietly.

"It doesn't look like nothing," John said. Jackie sighed.

"Just sorting out the old emotions," Jackie said. There was a pause. John stared at Jackie while she looked straight ahead. 

"You know, we're a lot alike," John said for lack of anything better to say.

"How so?" asked Jackie looking over at him.

"Well, we've got similar powers, and we're both sorta hot headed," John said with a grin.

"What's your point?" asked Jackie raising an eyebrow at him.

"No point," John said simply with a shrug. "It just struck me funny."

"Hmm," Jackie mumbled. There was another pause. "So I never got to ask you...How did you end up in Westchester?"

"I don't really like to talk about it," John said. "But I'll tell you one thing, I didn't black out Las Vegas."

"For the last time, I didn't black out Las Vegas. I didn't even get the strip. There are _houses_ there, you know," Jackie said. John grinned and chuckled quietly.

"I'm just foolin' around," he said. "You're kinda touchy."

"So're you," Jackie returned bluntly. 

"But I'm not cute when I'm mad. I'm scary," said John.

"I can be scary," Jackie said. He was starting to piss her off, but he kept grinning.

"You couldn't scare me," he said, his smile showing in the tone of his voice. Suddenly Jackie realized something.

"Wait...did you just call me cute?" she asked.

"Maybe," John grinned. Her cheeks turned red.

"Ah," she said with a nod. 

"You don't seem cool with that," John said.

"No, no....it's fine...I'm cool," Jackie stammered.

"Which explains the static," John said motioning to Jackie's hair, which was all standing on end. She tried to smash it to her head, but it wouldn't lay flat. John's T-shirt was sticking to Jackie's skin like dryer sheets on freshly dried clothes. He snorted and smiled.

"Sorry," muttered Jackie, trying to peel his sleeve off her. 

"You really _don't_ have much control over that, do ya?" John asked, obviously amused by the entire conversation.

"Apparently not," Jackie sighed, laughing nervously. "I mean, I've been trying, but it's harder than it looks."

"Understandable. Used to be the same way with me," John said. 

"You guys wanna wrap up the love talk? There's a couple'a kids in here enjoying their beauty sleep," Logan grunted from the front seat. 

"Sorry," they muttered. No one spoke until they reached the city of Boston. The sun was completely up by now. Logan had to wake Bobby up to give him directions to his house.

"We can camp out there until I figure out how the hell this stupid little cell phone thing is supposed to work," Logan said. Bobby directed them to his house, which took near a half an hour to get to. Logan parked against the curb and they got out. Bobby led them up to the front door where he lifted up a fake lawn turtle. There was a key underneath, which he used to get into the house.

"Ronny? Mom? Dad?" called Bobby. No one answered. "I guess they're not home," he said. "I'll try to find you guys some clothes. Don't burn anything," Bobby warned John. Bobby and Rogue went upstairs while Logan walked off to take a look around the Drake household. It was all very homey and normal. It was one of those houses that you could tell that there were two parents, two kids, and either a cat or a dog. And maybe even a little bowl of fish somewhere. Jackie almost resented this feeling. She had a dad and a dopey little brother. _No mas_. Her mother had died when she was younger. She grew up around men, and therefor, acted like one sometimes. When she was young, she made friends with boys in school, and refused to play dress up or dolls. When she became a teenager, she ignored the feelings she had towards the opposite sex as long as she could. She didn't know anything about being girly, and knew too much about guys to even _want_ to feel that way about them. She looked at John who was drifting into the family room, looking at the framed pictures on the walls. He was a mystery, though. Not like any of the other guys she'd ever met. Ever since she'd arrived at the school, she wasn't sure if she liked John enough to date him, or if she loathed him enough to kill him. Bobby came downstairs with some jeans and shirts for both of them. 

"You can stash your pajamas on the couch, if you want," Bobby said. John and Jackie took turns changing in the bathroom. Jackie came out of the bathroom with a pair of blue jeans that were too big around the waist, her white tank top, and a white, blousey over-shirt on. She left the overshirt open and went to find John. She came around the corner of the family room and stopped. He was looking at the pictures of Bobby and his family. They looked so happy. 

"I wonder if he's ever gonna tell 'em," John sighed.

"Tell them what?" asked Jackie coming closer.

"Tell them that he's a mutant," John said taking his eyes away from the picture and turning around to look at Jackie. 

"They don't know?" asked Jackie.

"Are you kidding? They think he's at a frickin' _prep_ school," John said.

"Wow," Jackie said with raised eyebrows. The sound of the back door opening echoed through the house and all who were in it froze. The voices of Bobby's family issued from the open door, then stopped.

"This could get ugly...," John muttered. 

"Who are you?" asked the voice of Bobby's dad. Bobby and Rogue came quickly down the stairs and went into the kitchen. "Bobby, why are you home? Who is this?"

"This is uh....Professor Logan," Bobby said. John snorted and Jackie sniggered. The thought of Logan as a professor was too much.

"What's he doing in our house?" asked the voice of Bobby's mother. 

"I think I need to tell you guys something," Bobby said slowly.

"Here it comes," John muttered. Bobby came into the family room followed by his confused family.

"Who are they?" asked Mrs. Drake.

"This is John and Jackie. They're my friends," Bobby said. Bobby's mother looked overwhelmed and confused.

"I'll get you some tea," Mr. Drake said. He left the room and Ronny and Mrs. Drake sat down on the couch. Bobby sat next to his mother, and Rogue next to him. The rest were left standing. 

"What is it you wanted to tell us?" asked Mrs. Drake.

"Actually...dad needs to hear this too," Bobby said slowly. Ronny was looking at Jackie with a weird look on his face.

"What?" asked Jackie.

"Did you dye your hair that color?" asked Ronny.

"No, it's natural," Jackie said. Ronny rolled his eyes and sat back with his arms folded over his chest. Mr. Drake came back with Mrs. Drake's tea and sat down. 

"Alright, Bobby. Now what's the matter? Why are you home from school?" asked Mrs. Drake. 

"Well...for one thing, I haven't been going to a prep school. I've been going to a school for mutants," Bobby said. He waited in suspense for his family's reaction. 

"Why would you want to go there?" Mrs. Drake asked looking confused. Bobby didn't answer. "We thought you were going to a school for the gifted," said Mrs. Drake slowly.

"Bobby _is_ gifted," Rogue said. "Show her, Bobby." Bobby touched his mother's teacup with his index finger. Jackie could hear the liquid freezing. Mrs. Drake's mouth dropped open as she turned over her cup and let the solid block of tea fall out onto her plate. 

"He can do a lot more than that," Rogue said. Ronny suddenly got up and went upstairs. His parents looked after him for a moment, but then focused their attention back on the matter at hand.

"Bobby...well, it's just that the mutant problem has become-," Mrs. Drake began to say.

"_What_ mutant problem?" asked Logan from the doorway.

"Complicated," Mrs. Drake finished. "What exactly are you the professor of, Mr. Logan?"

"Art," he said with a straight face. Bobby's mother could sense his sarcasm and shrugged the reply off.

"Bobby, have you ever tried...not being a mutant?" asked Mrs. Drake timidly.

"It doesn't really work like that, Misses Bobby's mom," Jackie said. 

"This is all my fault," sighed Mrs. Drake. 

"Actually, they recently discovered that the mutant gene is passed on from the males, so it's...his fault," John piped up pointing briefly to Bobby's father. Jackie only then noticed that John had been flipping his lighter again.

"Will you please stop?" asked Mrs. Drake, obviously becoming annoyed.

"Are _all_ of you mutants?" asked Mr. Drake nervously. 

"Yes," Jackie said firmly. A phone rang and everyone looked at Logan.

"That's me," he said. He pulled the cell phone they'd gotten from Cyclops's car and headed outside. He pressed the sides and the bottom slid down.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Logan?" asked Jean's voice.

"Hey," he said.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"We're at Bobby Drake's parent's house," answered Logan.

"Alright, we're on our way," Jean said.

"And Jean? Make it _fast_," Logan said, not wanting to go back inside and deal with Bobby's ignorant parents. He hung up and stuffed the phone in his pocket. He reached for the sliding door to go back in the house when he saw someone duck behind a bush in the reflection. He threw open the door and shut it. 

"We gotta go," Logan said.

"What?" asked Rogue.

"Now," Logan said. On their way out of the house, a window was bashed in, making Mrs. Drake yelp in surprise. Logan's claws flashed out of his fists before he opened the door and stepped outside. There were four cop cars on the lawn and another in the street. The four cars on the lawn had their doors open, two cops per car hiding behind each door. They all had guns poised at the five of them. There were two cops on either side of the deck.

"Drop the knives!" cried one of them.

"This is all just a big misunderstanding," Logan said.

"Drop the knives!" yelled the policeman again. Logan rolled his eyes.

"I _can't_," he said. He raised his hand at the cop. "Look," he started to say, but before he could finish his sentence, the cop fired. Logan fell to the ground, a bullet hole in his head. Rogue screamed. Jackie's heart skipped a beat and her eyes grew round as a small trickle of blood began to seep from the hole. Bobby's mouth was ajar.

"Get on the ground!" yelled the cop. Rogue, Bobby and Jackie slowly flattened themselves against the ground, but John stayed standing. 

"John, get down!" Jackie hissed, but John ignored her. He looked at all the police and then down at Logan. He was only trying to show that guy what his claws were, and the cop shot him dead. He flipped open his lighter and looked at it.

"You know all those mutants you hear about on the news?" he asked lighting it. "I'm the worst one." He took the flame from the lighter and threw it at the cop that had shot Logan. He threw another fireball at the cop car nearest to the house, which burst into flame. He held his lighter and pointed it at the cop of the other side of the deck. A horizontal column of flame blew her off the deck. 

"John, stop!" screamed Jackie. He ignored her again and threw an exceptionally large flame at one of the other cop cars, sending it flying into the air. It landed on top of one of the other cars. Rogue took off one of the gloves that Bobby had given her and grabbed John's ankle. The flame in his hand was suddenly extinguished. Rogue stuck out her other hand and gritted her teeth. The flames that were burning the grass diminished but did not go out. Jackie heard a clink and looked over and saw a bullet on the deck. Logan's eyes opened and he stood up. Jackie couldn't believe what had just happened. _Maybe he can heal himself, or something..._she thought. Rogue let go of John, who looked almost ready to pass out. The wind picked up Jackie's hair and blew it straight into her eyes and mouth. She fought it and looked up, seeing the x-men jet landing in the street. She'd only seen it once, but she never forgot how it looked. The hatch lowered and they ran over to it and climbed the stairs into the jet. 

"Hey," Jackie said seeing Willow in one of the isle seats. 

"Hey. What's going on down there?" asked Willow.

"John just _torched_ half the Boston police force," Jackie said flatly, anger and annoyance in her voice. She spotted Kurt crouched in the seat next to Willow. He smiled sheepishly at her. "Is this the famous Kurt?"

"Yep," Willow said. Jackie nodded. 

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jackie, Willow's friend," said Jackie.

"Bergrussungen und höflichkeit," Kurt said. "I am also a friend of _Weide_'s."

"So I've heard," Jackie said. "She talks about you so much, it's scary." Kurt smiled a little and looked at Willow's blushing face.

"Well I...I was worried about you, and I just...," Willow babbled. Kurt chuckled.

"It's alright," he said. Logan passed by, but not without noticing Kurt. 

"Who's this guy?" he asked.

"Kurt Vagner," he said. "But in ze Munich Circus, I vas ze Incredible-," 

"Alright, that's good," Logan said, cutting him off. Everyone sat down as the hatch was closed. Storm and Jean got the jet off the ground and headed towards to school. Logan began to fill her in on what had happened while Jackie was filling Willow in.

"Is everyone alright?" asked Willow.

"I dunno. Some of those soldier guys aren't, though. Between me, Bobby and Logan, we prolly took out at least ten," Jackie said.

"Please don't tell me you killed someone," Willow said seriously.

"I don't _think_ I did...," Jackie said slowly. Willow gave her an angry look. "Well I'm sorry! It was self defense, and I'm not so good at controlling it when I'm being attacked in my pajamas by army men with guns!"

"Who vould attack a school?" wondered Kurt. 

"I dunno, all I know is that it was scary as hell, and I'm not looking forward to going back," Jackie said. She spotted Willow's headphones around her neck. "Can I listen to some music? I kinda need it right now."

"Sure," said Willow taking the headphones off and removing her Discman from her front pocket.

"Thank you," said Jackie, shoving the ear pieces into her ears. 

"Don't get your ear wax all over those," Willow half joked.

"I don't _have_ ear wax," Jackie joked in a prissy British accent before turning up the volume almost full blast.

"You're so full of crap," Willow said with a grin. 

"WHAT?" Jackie said loudly on purpose. Willow giggled and gave her the finger. "LOVE YOU TOO!" Jackie practically yelled. 

"Pipe down back there," Logan snapped. Willow smiled and sighed. 

"Do you act like zis all ze time?" asked Kurt meaning Willow and Jackie.

"Mmhmm," Willow said with a nod. "We're a laugh a minute, me and Jackie."

"She seems nice," he said.

"She is. A little obnoxious at times, but she's a nice kid deep down," said Willow with a grin. 

"Hoooow long will I slide?" sang Jackie loudly and out of tune. Willow scooted over and kicked her in the shin. "I don't...I don't believe it's bad. Slittin' my throat is all I ever haaad." Kurt grinned and laughed quietly. 

"She's ruining that song for me, singing it like that," Willow sighed. 

"Vat is it?" asked Kurt.

"Otherside by the Red Hot Chili Peppers," said Willow. Kurt nodded. After about a half an hour of flying in almost complete silence, save the muffled wail of guitars coming from Willow's CD player, Logan decided to break the quiet.

"How far are we?" asked Logan.

"We'll be at the school soon," Storm said. After another ten minutes, there was a beeping up front. 

"What's that?" asked Logan. 

"Approaching aircraft. There's two of them," Storm said. The radio crackled to life and a foreign voice began to speak.

"Unauthorized aircraft, please lower your altitude to twenty thousand feet." Two air force jets appeared at either side of them.

"Well somebody's angry," Storm said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I wonder why," Logan said looking back at John. 

"Lower your altitude to twenty thousand feet," said the voice again. One of the pilots jerked their index finger down. Jean and Storm looked at each other. After a moment, the air force jets fell behind them.

"They're dropping back," said Storm. A harsh beeping noise issued from the control panel. 

"They're marking us!" cried Jean. Willow's stomach knotted. "Buckle your seat belts!"

"Marking? Are they going to shoot at us?" asked Willow as she messed around with her seat belt. Her question went unnoticed. She looked at Kurt with a frightened face. He had his eyes closed and was making a cross over his chest. Jackie lowered the headphones and looked confused.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"A couple of military planes are about to shoot us down," Willow told her.

"Your shittin' me," she said. 

"Put your seat belt on," Willow told her.

"This is just not my day," she said flatly as she fastened it. Everyone else did what they were told, but Rogue was having a hard time with hers. 

"Don't we have any weapons in this heat?" asked Logan, sounding a little frantic. The sky outside darkened with storm clouds and in front of them appeared a tornado. Jean dodged it easily. Logan sat down in a seat and quickly fastened his seat belt. More and more dropped out of the sky. Willow sat frozen in awe and fear. She wished she could see what was going on behind them. Suddenly the jet corkscrewed around one of the tornadoes.

"Please don't do that again," John said weakly.

"I agree," Logan said.

"That would have been really cool if we weren't in some serious shit right now," Jackie groaned. 

"One down," said Jean as one of the jets disappeared from radar. Suddenly, the beeping sound went crazy. "They've fired! There's two of them!" cried Jean. Both planes were down, but the missiles left behind were trailing the jet and closing in fast. Storm had let the weather return to normal and she took over the controls. Jean concentrated. She could see the missile in her mind and focused on it. She felt it wobble a little when the fins on the back that were meant to keep it stable began to come off. The missile lost one of these fins, tumbled through the air for a moment, then exploded behind them.

"One more," Storm encouraged Jean. Jean looked as though she was struggling. As hard as she tried, she couldn't seem to shake the last missile. It came closer to the jet.

"I can't....oh God!" she whispered. With a deafening explosion, the back of the jet was ripped to shreds. Rogue still hadn't gotten her seat belt on. The gaping hole in the back began to suck the air out of the cabin, taking Rogue with it. Willow could hear her scream as she flew past her and out the back of the plane. 

"No!" shrieked Willow, looking back to try and see the last of her friend. 

"Rogue!" shouted Bobby. Willow inhaled the fleeting smell of brimstone. She looked over into Kurt's vacant seat. He was going to save her. 

Rogue tumbled through the air, the oxygen almost completely sucked out of her lungs. Tears slid up her face and she was sure she was going to plummet to her death. Just as she decided this, someone wrapped their arms around her and the free falling feeling was gone. 

Kurt reappeared inside the jet with Rogue safe in his arms. Willow breathed a sigh of relief, but then took it back as she realized they were headed straight for the ground. Her breath caught in her chest and she saw everything in slow motion. Jackie had her eyes closed and was wincing. Bobby was looking at Rogue, and John was looking straight ahead out the window, watching the earth rush towards them. Willow closed her eyes and waited for death. But it never came. Just as they were about a hundred feet from smashing straight into the ground, the back end of the jet sealed itself back up.

"Jean?" asked Storm.

"It's not me!" she cried. The ground was only twenty feet away now. And all at once...the jet stopped. Willow opened her eyes and looked out the front windows of the jet. Two people stood outside. One was an older male who looked about the same age as Professor Xavier. He was shaking his head with an amused grin on his face, holding his hands in the air. The other was a woman who was completely blue skinned, though not as dark as Kurt. She had dark red hair and yellow eyes. The man with his hands up moved them slightly and the plane slowly touched down onto the ground. Willow and Jackie looked at each other, neither believing what had just occurred.

"Are we dead?" asked Jackie.

"I don't think so...," Willow muttered. Logan removed his seatbelt and stood up. Jean and Storm did the same. 

"What're Magneto and Mystique doin' out here?" he asked.

"I don't know," Storm said. "Be on your guard. Kids, stay here until we give you the go-ahead. Kurt, can you stay with them?"

"Sure," he said. Storm, Jean, and Logan lowered the hatch and exited the jet. Willow could hear them talking to the two new people. Kurt helped Rogue to sit down in one of the seats. She was shaking and her face was as white as her bangs. Bobby got up and sat next to her. She put her arms around them and they sat there like that for a long time. That jealous feeling had come back to Willow, even at an inappropriate time like this. She suppressed it and undid her seatbelt. She stood up and stretched a little. 

"What a _day_," Jackie sighed. "I can't take much more of this. Another day like this one and you're gonna have to come visit me in the loony bin."

"Maybe we'll be roommates," Willow said. Jackie grinned and gave Willow her CD player.

"Here. I wanna be able to actually _listen_ to things that are going on," said Jackie. 

"Thanks," Willow said as she stuffed it in her pocket.

"You guys can come down now," Storm called into the jet. They came down the stairs of the hatch and looked at who had saved them. Magneto gave them all an arrogant smile.

"No thank you's?" he asked. No one said anything for a moment.

"Thanks," Willow said shortly. 

"At least one of you has manners," he said. "What's your name?"

"Willow," she said hesitantly. She didn't trust him.

"Is it?" he asked with interest. "And what are your gifts, Willow?" She held her hand over the ground and brang it upward. A large nettle grew close enough to Magneto's leg to sting him badly if his skin had been exposed to it. Magneto raised an eyebrow for a moment. "That's a clever trick," he said. He gently bent the stem back with his foot and snapped it against the ground. Willow winced in pain. "But with a price, I see," he said, noticing the wince. "Now, I suppose if we're going to ever get out of here, this jet's going to need some maintenance."

"Who said you're coming with us?" asked Logan.

"I hold some very important pieces of the puzzle," Magneto said. "Believe me, you'll want to know what they are." 

"At any rate, the jet _does_ need to be fixed. I'll check out the damage while the rest of you set up camp. I have a feeling we're going to be here for a while," Jean said with a sigh.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

****

Mary-Sue? Yes, no? Tell me in your reviews what you think. More fluff to come. 


	11. Ch 11

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Eleven *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Jean and Storm were in the jet for hours, checking for all things that could be wrong with it. During this time, everyone else was struggling with the many two person tents that had to be erected before the sun went down, which was only in a couple hours. It was certain that they would be staying the night in the woods. 

Darkness fell over the camp ground at around eight thirty. John helped to start a campfire where the adults stood talking.

"How is it that I make the fire and the goddamn _adults_ get to use it? I'm freezing my ass off!" John said. 

"So make another one," Jackie said bluntly. 

"If I burn down the woods, Willow might strangle me with a vine," John said.

"Where is she anyway?" asked Jackie.

"In the middle of the clearing near the jet," John said. "I think I can hear her music." Jackie listened.

"Yep, that's her," she said. "What's she doing?"

"I dunno. Becoming one with nature, probably," John said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "She hasn't got that much further to go, if you think about it." Jackie ignored this last, almost scathing remark. She really did hate him sometimes.

"Willow!" cried Jackie into the night.

"What?" asked Willow from the darkness of the clearing.

"What're you doing?" asked Jackie.

"Looking at the stars, there's billions of them!" said Willow. "Wanna come see?"

"Hell no, it's probably colder out there," Jackie said. 

"Suit yourself," Willow sighed. She put her hands behind her head as she lay there. _They look like billions of diamonds,_ she thought romantically. _It's too bad they're so far away._ In all of Willow's thoughtfulness, she hadn't noticed that a pair of amber eyes were fixed on her at a good twenty yards away. Kurt sighed in a mostly dreamy way, though it had a hint of sadness in it. He liked watching Willow. She was so kind and understanding to everyone and everything around her. She was a rare person. He didn't frighten her at all, and she even gave him that hug in the church. He remembered how he missed her when he watched her leave in the car with the man from the school. He remembered how he thought of her when he was trapped inside his own mind when he was attacking the White House, and how glad he was to see her last night. He wished he could get a little closer to her, but he didn't know if she would let him.

"Hey," said Rogue as she approached him.

"Gute nacht," Kurt said.

"Thanks for saving me earlier," Rogue said. 

"Bitte shön," Kurt replied, his eyes never leaving Willow. Rogue tried to see what Kurt was looking at. Willow shifted her weight in the grass and began humming along to the radio. Rogue realized who it was and looked back at Kurt. She became curious. She almost didn't ask, but it was eating away at her ever since the ride over.

"So...do you like her?" she asked. Kurt snapped out of his stupor and looked at Rogue in the face.

"Vat?" he asked.

"Ah said 'do you like her?'" Rogue repeated.

"Oh," Kurt said. "Yes, ve are very good friends," he stammered with a nod and a smile. He turned his attention back on Willow who was now singing to herself.

"No, Ah mean to you _like_ her like her," Rogue said trying to clarify what exactly she meant.

"I'm not sure I understand," said Kurt, puzzled as he looked back at her.

"Ah _mean_ do you ever feel like you might wanna like...kiss her, or somethin'?" asked Rogue. Kurt's face grew hot, though the color of his cheeks stayed the same.

"No!" he cried. Rogue looked at him suspiciously. He looked away from her and down into his lap. "Vell...maybe _once_...or...tvice," he muttered with a hint of guilt. 

"There's nothin' wrong with that," Rogue said. "Have you ever thought of maybe tellin' her?"

"Are you crazy? I couldn't do zat! She vould never-," he started to say.

"She'd never what? Talk to you again? Kurt, you haven't lived with that girl for the past four months. Whenever I ask her what she's thinkin' about when she's lyin' awake at night, she'd always say 'Ah wonder where Kurt is, Ah hope he's okay.' She cares about you more than she probably cares about me, and Ah'm her _roommate_. Willow's not the kinda person that would just quit talkin' to someone," Rogue told him. Kurt looked a little flustered. "C'mon, Kurt. If you want somethin', you gotta go for it. Ah promise you won't scare her away." Kurt thought for a moment.

"Do you really sink I should tell her?" he asked.

"I think that if you feel strongly about someone that you should let them know," Rogue said. "After all, what have you got to lose?" she asked with a smile.

"Everysing," he said looking at her out of the corner of his eyes nervously. "She is ze only van who has ever seen me as a normal person. I don't vant to lose zat."

"Then go tell her how much she means to you!" Rogue encouraged him. "She'll like it, I promise." Kurt looked at her like she might be insane.

"You talk about it like it's easy," he sighed.

"Ah know it's not. Ah've been there before. But if you want her, Kurt, you gotta go get her before someone else does. Ah know about a million gahs at school that've been dyin' to go out with her," Rogue said. "Go on. It's hard at first, but afterwards, you're gonna feel lahk you can fly." Kurt sighed and ran a hand through his short hair. 

"I guess...if you sink zat she von't reject me...," he said slowly.

"She won't," Rogue assured him. Kurt stood up and looked down at Rogue. He flashed a quick, nervous smile and nodded. Then he was gone. He appeared behind Willow who was still singing. 

"We gotta hold on to what we got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. We got each other, and that's a lot," Willow sang. Upon hearing these words, Kurt bit his lip. "Woah, we're half way there, woah, livin' on a prayer. Take my hand, we'll make it I swear. Woah, livin' on a prayer," she sang. _How ironic, _Kurt thought. Willow lowered her headphones and sat up. She looked back at Kurt and smiled.

"Hi," she said. 

"How did you know I vas here?" he asked.

"Because every time you teleport, you make a sort of _bamf_ sound," Willow said.

"Bamf?" he asked. 

"Yeah," Willow said. Her cheeks went pink. "At least that's what I thought it sounded like..."

"Oh, no, don't feel bad, it's just zat I don't hear it ven I teleport," he said quickly. There was a pause.

"You don't have to sit way over there, you know," Willow said. Kurt got up and sat down next to her. 

"Vat ver you singing?" he asked.

"It's a song by Bon Jovi called 'Living on a Prayer.' It's one of my favorite songs. But I've got a lot of favorite songs, so yeah...," Willow said trailing off. She sighed as she looked up at the stars again. "Aren't they beautiful?" Kurt looked up at the star filled sky.

"Yes, they are," he agreed. "Venever I'm alone I look at zem."

"I wish you could see them this well in the city. There are too many lights, though, so only the brightest ones show through," Willow said a little sadly. A silence came over them in which they could hear the crackling of the fire from where the adults stood and the song of the crickets in the surrounding bushes. Suddenly Willow remembered something from their first meeting. "Remember how you asked me what happened to me when I first met you?" Willow asked slowly. She was afraid to tell him about it, but she felt that she had to eventually. This was as good a time as any.

"Yes," Kurt said with a nod.

"Well, I think I'm okay to tell you now," she said. She took a big breath and let it out. "What happened was...my mom died. In a fire. A terrorist group attacked our house. I was in the back yard trying to grow a lilac tree. Right in the middle of it, I heard this huge explosion, and then I was on the ground. I got up and looked around and my whole house was on fire," her voice cracked, and Kurt looked at her with unbelieving, concerned eyes. _So zis is vy she vas so upset,_ he thought. "I ran into the house, and I knew my mom was in there. I called for her, but she didn't answer me. I looked around and when I found her...," tears ran down Willow's face. Kurt's mouth was slightly ajar as he listened. "When I found her, she was laying on the carpet with her back to me. I turned her over, and her face...it was ruined. Kurt, I could _smell_ her skin and her hair. I could smell it burning. I still see that in my nightmares sometimes." She was shaking. "My mom was one of the only ones to fully except me before the school. She was so beautiful. You should have seen her. You would have thought so too. When I was with her, everything was okay. No one could hurt me. But then when I got to Boston, people rejected me and insulted me, and my mom couldn't come and make everything okay again. I miss her so much!" she sobbed. "But I know I have to grow up. I know I have to leave her behind me. I can't be so dependent for the rest of my life. I'm practically an adult." Kurt looked devastated. 

"Everysing vill be fine, mein_ Weide_," he whispered. "You don't have to leave her behind you. She lives on in here," he said touching her chest where her heart was. "And in here," he said gently touching her forehead. She tucked a loose chunk of hair behind her ear and wiped her eyes, but the tears kept coming. Kurt was at a loss. He had no idea how to calm her or to comfort her. _Ven I vas miserable, she gave me a hug...zat made me feel better...maybe it vill vork for her?_ He scooted closer to her and put his arms around her. She hugged him back and cried onto his shoulder. He patted her on the back of the head. He was surprised how soft her hair was. He sighed. "Ze problem vis losing someone so close to you is zat it takes a long time for ze wounds to heal if zey ever do." Willow hugged him tighter and he rocked back and forth, trying to comfort her. "I vish you vern't so sad," he said quietly. "I hate seeing you sad. I prefer your smile over zis face," Willow didn't say anything. Kurt tried to think of something else...something that was true that would make her feel better. "I bet you look like your mother, if she vas as beautiful as you say she vas." He waited in terror for her response._ Vat if she gets offended? Or vat if she hits me? Vy did I even say zat?!_ He thought nervously. Willow didn't know really what to make of this comment. Although she was very flattered by it, she wondered if they were still just friends.

"She was a _lot_ prettier than me," said Willow, for lack of anything better to say. Kurt calmed down a little and decided to pursue the topic.

"I sink you are very pretty. Very nice to look at," he said. _At least I'm telling za truth...I hope Rogue is right about her, _he thought to himself.

"What about Storm? You said she was beautiful," said Willow. Before they picked Bobby, Rouge, John, Jackie, and Logan up, he had touched Storm's face and told her 'Someone so beautiful should not be so angry.' When he said that, it made Willow feel empty and sad. 

"She _is_ beautiful, but zer are many different _kinds_ of beautiful, you know," said Kurt. "People can have beautiful hearts, and beautiful souls as vell as beautiful faces. Like you." Willow shook her head and choked out a scoffing laugh. "It's true! Anyone could have a nice face, but not as many have good hearts and souls to go vis zem. During my time in ze Munich Circus, I saw many beautiful vomen, but zey ver different underneath. It vas like zey ver vearing masks. I could see it in zeir eyes ven zey vatched me zat zeir faces did not reflect zeir hearts and souls. You don't have a mask on. Your face is as beautiful as your heart and soul. You're a rare sort of person. Zat's vy you're so important to me." Now that he was at it, telling her how he felt about her wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. He wondered how he got so scared of doing it in the first place.

"I'm not _that_ important," she sniffled. 

"But you are! You are ze first van to ever except me, to ever see me for vat I am inside. And definitely ze first person to ever even _sink_ about touching me," he said. She looked up into his face with red, puffy eyes and a shaky smile. 

"You're not that different from everyone else," she told him. "I think you're quite handsome, actually," she said. _Please God, don't make him think I'm weird!_ Willow prayed as she waited for the response. 

"Really?" he asked in a surprised voice. _Handsome? I sink she must be crazy!_ He thought happily. 

"Uh huh," she said as she backed away slightly so she could dry her eyes with her sleeve, but hugged him around the chest when she was done. _So far so good..._Willow thought. That was when the hug began to feel like less of a comforting gesture. 

"Thank you," he said quietly with a small smile. Kurt was surprised to find that Rogue was right. Now that he had told her how he felt about her, he really _did_ feel like he could fly. He had never, not even in his wildest dreams, thought that anyone could think that he was handsome. And now that someone did, he didn't know if he believed what was said was really said at all. _Maybe I'm dreaming, or only imagining this happening..._, Kurt thought. _Or maybe it is all true! _

The whole time during the conversation, Willow had been completely confused by what was happening. Were they still friends? More than that? If you were good friends with the opposite sex, did they tell you that you were beautiful and important? Were you supposed to tell them that they were handsome? Did they hold you like this when you became upset? Like most of the questions Willow had burning inside her, she didn't know the answers to any of them. All she really knew was that Kurt was something else. From the moment she met him, she could tell that he was different from any other person she had ever met. She hoped that he wouldn't leave her this time. She had missed him so much since November. 

Kurt and Willow pulled apart from each other, but still sat close together.

"You know...all zis time I vas so vorried about you rejecting me," he said. "Since ve met, I vas just vaiting for you to vant nothing to do vis me. I vaited for you to leave and never come back. But it didn't happen."

"I don't want to leave you," Willow said. "You're good company." There was a pause for a moment. Willow couldn't stand it any more. She had to know what was going on. "So...so what are we? Are we friends, or are we like Rogue and Bobby?" she asked slowly. She pointed over at the two of them, who were cuddling for warmth. Kurt looked thoughtful.

"I don't know...maybe ve are like zem," he said. "I've actually never really done anysing like zis before."

"Me neither," Willow sighed. Kurt examined Rogue and Bobby. _Maybe ve are like zem, _he thought. _Ve are sitting very close, and a moment ago I vas holding her..._Then he realized something. Bobby and Rogue were very close in age, a year apart at the most. He looked at Willow for a moment. She seemed much younger than him. He hoped she wasn't _too _young.

"How old are you?" he asked. He was dreading the answer. With his luck, she would only be fifteen, which would be morally wrong. But he knew she wasn't _that_ young. Her face and her voice were far too womanly. But it didn't hurt to check...

"I'll be nineteen in a couple weeks," she said. Kurt did the math in his head.

"Sank you, God," he sighed in relief. At least she wasn't _that_ much younger.

"Why, how old are you?" she asked with a grin.

"I vill turn tventy four in July," he said. "Zer's five years between us...zat's kind of a lot..." 

"Yeah," she said. "But I don't mind." Kurt smiled, showing his pointed top teeth for the first time in a very long while. Willow liked his smile. It was blindingly white, despite the unusual shape of his teeth. Willow looked over at the adults talking. "Can you hear what they're saying?"

"I sink I could take a closer look," he said. "Stay here, alright? 

"I'm not going anywhere," Willow promised. He smiled at her and got up. He turned his back to leave, but before he did, he looked back and tapped her affectionately under the chin with the end of his tail. She smiled at him and felt a flock of butterflies take flight within her before he disappeared with a _bamf_. Willow watched the circle of adults around the campfire, looking for where Kurt might appear. She couldn't see him, but after a couple minutes, she saw the entire circle of adults look upwards. A moment later, Kurt was in the middle of the circle looking guilty. _Poor Kurt...such a bad sneak,_ Willow thought with amusement. All the teachers watched him seriously. Jean stepped forward and put her hands on either side of his head. She was going to read his mind. Ten seconds or so later, Kurt's head snapped back in what looked like pain. Jean apologized and told him he could go if he wanted. Kurt nodded and with a distant _bamf_, he disappeared. He appeared next to her and sighed.

"I guess I'm not such a good spy," he said as he came down into his normal crouching position. 

"You tried," Willow said. "What were they saying?" 

"I'm not sure, I came in so late in the conversation," he said. "I never do anysing right for you," he said with disappointment in his voice.

"Everything always turns out okay," Willow pointed out. 

"Yes, I know...but I just vish I could tell you zat I'll do somesing for you and actually _do it_," he said sitting down next to her. Willow could hear someone stomping through the grass.

"Hey, Willow," said Jackie with a sigh as she plopped down in the grass. "Hiya, Kurt."

"Hello," he said a little shyly. 

"John's driving me _nuts_. I had to get away from him before I smashed his face in. He's such an ass sometimes," Jackie said, exasperated. 

"What's he doing now?" asked Willow.

"Being himself," Jackie grumbled, her voice soaked in annoyance. "See, that's the whole problem with John. He's John."

"Why do you even hang around him, anyways? He's not nice to anyone, even Bobby, and Bobby's his best friend," Willow said. 

"Sometimes he's nice!" Jackie said in John's defense.

"_Kinda_," Willow said skeptically with a raised eyebrow.

"I dunno...I guess I'm just sort of...attracted to him," Jackie said with a helpless shrug. This was all news to Willow. They way John and Jackie constantly bickered, it seemed impossible. "I mean, sometimes I really hate him. Like right now. But other times he's really nice, and I like him a lot."

"Maybe you should tell him how you feel," Kurt said, trying his best to offer advice.

"Psh, when hell freezes over, maybe," Jackie said with a quick eye roll. She looked over to where John, Rogue and Bobby were still sitting. "All the cute ones are either gay or complete jerks. That's just the way it is."

"Keep looking, Jack. There's a guy out there somewhere with Jacklynn Dunn written all over him," Willow said encouragingly.

"But I don't _want_ to keep looking! I've tried it, and all I can think is, 'well, he's okay, but he's not John,'" Jackie said.

"But John's mean to you half the time! The first time I met you guys you were fighting over his playstation!" Willow cried.

"I _know_, but I can't help it!" Jackie said miserably.

"But don't you sink you're worth more zen zat? Don't you sink zat you are entitled to kindness?" asked Kurt, confused by Jackie's feelings.

"Well, yeah...I just don't know what to do. I can't just _stop_ liking him," Jackie said. "But I kinda wish I could sometimes."

"I think you're trying to make a decision too fast," Willow said. "If I were you, I'd just hang back and see what happens. No need to make a decision now."

"Yes, Professor," Jackie joked, giving Willow a salute. "Since when are you the expert on males?"

"Since right now," Willow teased. "But seriously, don't do anything dramatic that might spoil it," Willow advised. 

"Mmkay," Jackie said with a sigh. She looked back at her friends. "I think I'm going to go back over there."

"Sure you don't wanna stick around?" asked Willow.

"Nah. I don't wanna make it so I'm scared of him, or anything," Jackie said.

"Alright," Willow said. Jackie hoisted herself to her feet with a small groan. 

"Thanks for the help. I'll see you guys later," Jackie said.

"Your velcome," Kurt said. Jackie took a deep breath and headed back over to John, Bobby and Rogue. "Vell, at least you are not mean to me," Kurt sighed.

"I don't think I _could_ be mean to you," Willow said. She stuck her headphones on her head and pulled one of the earpieces out so she could still hear Kurt. "Lets see what's on the radio...," she muttered. She flipped stations for a minute. "Ooh! This is such a good song!" she said, stopping on 'Stand By Me' by the Temptations. "Here, listen to this," she said giving her headphones to Kurt. He took them and looked at them for a second before sticking them in his ears. 

__

When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see

No, I won't be afraid

No I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

So darlin, darlin'

Stand by me

Oh, stand by me

Oh, stand

Stand by me, stand by me.

If the sky that we look upon

Should tumble and fall

Or the mountains should crumble into the sea

I won't cry

I won't cry

No I won't shed a tear

Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

So darlin', darlin'

Stand by me

Oh, stand by me

Oh, stand

Stand by me, stand by me...

Kurt smiled softly when he heard these words. It made him feel sort of peaceful in Willow's presence. 

"I like it a lot," said Kurt, giving Willow back her head phones. 

"Me too," Willow said. "It always makes me less lonely." 

"I guess ve are both less lonely now," Kurt said with a smile. 

"Guess so," Willow said, nodding and returning the smile.

"You really like music, don't you?" Kurt asked. 

"Oh, yeah, music's great," said Willow. "I play a little upright bass, but I'm not really any good."

"Really? I'd like to hear you play," Kurt said.

"Seriously, I'm not any good," Willow assured him.

"You know, I don't sink you give yourself ze credit zat you deserve," Kurt told her.

"I don't deserve any credit. I haven't done anything," Willow said.

"Yes you have. You took care of me ven I vas veak after teleporting. You bought me food. You made ze ground more pleasant to sleep on," he listed off.

"It was only moss," Willow said.

"But it vas _soft_ moss," Kurt said seriously. Willow giggled a little at this. She couldn't wait to get home so she could spend more time with him.

"Know what we should do?" asked Willow, flying on a random tangent.

"Vat?" asked Kurt.

"Have a Kurt and Willow movie night," Willow said. "We'll watch a bunch of great, timeless movies like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Rocky Horror and The Princess Bride all in a row with snacks and soda until it's ridiculously late." Kurt smiled and chuckled at the thought.

"I vould like zat a lot," he said. 

"Willow!" yelled Jackie.

"What?" called Willow looking over in the direction that Jackie's voice was coming from.

"You gonna come sleep?" asked Jackie.

"What time is it?" asked Willow.

"How the hell should I know? I don't got a watch," Jackie said sarcastically. "All I know is that it's dark, I'm tired, and I'm sharing a tent with you."

"I'll be there in a sec'," Willow said. She turned back to Kurt.

"Are you gonna sleep out here all by yourself?" asked Willow.

"I sink so," Kurt said.

"Sure they didn't put up a tent for you?" asked Willow.

"I'm fine out here," said Kurt. "But sank you for caring."

"D'you want some more of that soft moss to sleep on at least?" asked Willow. 

"Yes, please," Kurt said happily. Willow's eyes glowed a soft green as she cast her hand out over the ground. Her favorite feathery moss came up out of the grass in a cushy mat. "Sank you," Kurt said as he felt it with his hand.

"I'm glad you like my moss," Willow said in an amused voice. She got up and brushed off the back of her pants. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Träume süß, mein Weide," he said as he curled up on his bed of moss.

"What's that?" asked Willow.

"It means 'sveet dreams,'" he told her with a small smile.

__

"Oh…well, sweet dreams to you too," she replied. Her cheeks went pink and her lips curled into an almost sheepish smile as she walked away from him.

**__**

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Well, how was that? Pyro fans should probably cover their eyes and ears, cuz John's a HUGE ass-hole in the next chapter. You've been warned…


	12. Ch 12

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Twelve *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A/N: **Oh my God, you guys, I'm SO sorry for leaving you hangin'. My schedule has been a MESS this week. The last four days I've been at the hospital visiting my friend and have had no time to update, as much as I wanted to. But don't worry, she's doing just fine. Anyways, I thought I should say that I've had the story completely finished for the last month or so, so I'm just feeding it into the site slowly so that it stays at the top of the list and gets read. The only reason it's not being updated quickly is because I've got to spell check and format it all before I post. Anyway, this chapter is where it gets a little interesting. Willow actually gets violent pretty quick here….read on!**

~Carrie

Willow approached the tents and found Jackie staring at her with a strange look on her face. It was like a cross between a smile and an unbelieving look. 

"What's your problem?" asked Willow.

"Are you and Kurt..._ya know_?" Jackie asked with excitement.

"Whaddya mean by 'ya know?'" asked Willow.

"You know what I mean," Jackie said slowly, a mischievous smile curling on her lips. 

"Er...maybe...," Willow mumbled.

"You are! I knew it! That's is so cute!" cried Jackie a little too loud. 

"What's cute?" asked John, who had over heard the conversation.

"You're ass," Jackie said flatly, trying to get him to go away.

"Besides that," John said.

"_Nothing_," Jackie said, irritated. "Beat it, you dick."

"Aw, come on, I wanna know," he said. Jackie tried to ignore him by turning her back on him and leaning down close to Willow's ear.

"Willow and Kurt sittin' in a tree," Jackie sang in a low taunting voice to Willow. She was only joking, but John had heard what she had said. His eyebrows raised, then his nose crinkled in disgust. 

"Are you _serious_?" he asked. 

"Dead serious," Willow replied firmly.

"Oh my God, that's disgusting!" John cried.

"It is not!" spat Jackie in Willow's defense. If John was going to act like this, she was going to side with Willow, no matter how attracted she was to him.

"It is too! My God, that makes me wanna hurl," he said with a laugh. 

"Why don't you shut up, John?" cried Willow, shocked and angry that John could say something so rude. 

"How can you even _touch_ that guy?" asked John.

"It's easy," Willow said. "He's a great person."

"Great person!" scoffed John, "He's looks like Satan, for Christ's sake!" Willow's cheeks burned in anger.

"You look more like Satan than he does," Willow said angrily. It was moments like these that she really wished she never got to know John. "And Kurt's got a lot better chance of getting girls than you do because he actually _appreciates_ things and _cares_ about people."

"I don't need to appreciate anything to get girls," John sneered. Jackie looked as if a train had hit her. Her mouth was slightly ajar and her eyes were wide and staring. Willow realized what a low blow his statement had been to Jackie; it infuriated her.

"You're such a heartless bastard, I don't know how people stand you!" Willow cried angrily.

"I don't know how can you even _look _at a freak like that!" he shouted by means of a comeback. "I mean, you're one of the hottest chicks at school next to Rogue and Jackie, and you pick a guy like _him_? He's blue and he's got _fangs_. People are either gonna laugh their asses off at you, or try to kill you. Either way it's a mistake." 

"Shut _up_, John, I'm pissed enough at you as it is," Willow said dangerously. How dare he talk that way about Kurt? About her? It angered her further that he had been smirking like an idiot the entire time. Willow could barely hear the sound of approaching footsteps.

"What's going on?" Bobby asked as he and Rogue neared them. Both John and Willow ignored their presence. "What's with all the yelling?"

"I can't stand this kinda crap. It's like Drew Barrymore getting married to Tom Green; a total waste." John said. "She _is_ cute, but she'd need to be a little thinner before I'd even consider her." Jackie's heart broke in her chest. She had to try her hardest not to cry. _He's such a pig!_ She moaned inside her head. 

"I never would have thought you to be such an inconsiderate piece of shit, but here you are," Willow breathed furiously through gritted teeth. As always, the madder someone got at John, the more he liked to provoke them. Willow would have liked nothing more that to bash his brains in.

Rogue and Bobby looked a little afraid. They had never seen Willow even _irritated_ at someone, let alone furious. She looked a little scarier as her eyes began to glow.

"I'm not a piece of shit, I'm just saying what waste of a perfectly good looking girl this all is. I mean, on a guy like _him_?" he said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "Not that _I'd_ wanna date you, or anything, I'm just saying that it's a waste," he said with a smirk. Willow had been fighting the urge to hit him as hard as she could, but she couldn't hold it in any more. She let out a livid yell. She threw herself towards him feet first and kicked him with both feet square in the chest. John flew backwards and skidded along the ground. Jackie's mouth dropped open. Willow couldn't catch herself on the way down and fell onto her hip. It hurt a little, but pain was the last thing on her mind.

"Willow, don't!" cried Rogue as Willow jumped to her feet. Her friends grabbed at her, but Willow dodged them easily. John lay there slightly dazed, trying to reclaim the wind that had escaped him. He thought for a fleeting second about getting out his lighter, but he had forgotten where it was at that particular moment. Willow leaped through the air and landed so that she was straddling him with her thighs. More people were yelling at them, but Willow ignored it. She took the collar of his shirt and wrenched his head closer to hers. She leaned over so that she could whisper into his ear.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ speak that way about me or him again. Got it?" she breathed slowly. 

"Get off me, bitch," he said in a low voice. She raised her fist up to get him good across the jaw.

"Willow, let him go!" Bobby shouted at her. When he saw that she wasn't going to, he stuck out his hand and blasted her with a wave of icy air. Willow's insides felt like they were freezing. Her breath rose in a mist before her eyes, but she didn't stop. She was about to come down on John's face, knuckles first, but her hand wouldn't move. She felt herself being lifted into the air. Jean stood over John with her hand raised, keeping Willow in the air.

"What is going on here?" asked Storm angrily as she came to the scene. Everyone was there watching: everyone but Kurt. Willow was glad he wasn't there to see her being violent for the first time in her life. Willow wouldn't answer Storm's question. She just glared at John, the glow fading in her eyes. "Huh?" Storm asked. She looked around to see if there were any witnesses. "Jackie, what happened?" she asked. Jackie looked frightened. She'd never seen Willow do anything like that before. 

"Uh...John was saying some really bad stuff, and Willow told him to stop a couple times, but he kept doing it, so...s-she kicked him," Jackie stammered. Willow was in furious tears now as she hung motionless in the air. She was glad that she had caused John pain. She was glad that she was able to teach him a lesson. She was glad she could finally stand up to him. She felt Jean inside her head. _What's gotten into you, Willow?_ She heard Jean ask. **_I had to do it. If you saw, you would understand,_** Willow thought back. Willow could feel Jean watching what happened over again as she set Willow down. 

"John, you had no reason to say what you did," Jean told John who was being lifted to his feet by Logan. _You have to respect the feelings of others,_ Jean thought to him. 

"Yeah right," John said angrily pushing his way out of the group of people. Willow dried her eyes quickly and left for the tent. She was struggling with the zipper when Jackie came up behind her.

"I didn't know you could do that," Jackie said in a hollow voice.

"What did you think I was doing with Scott in the Danger Room? Having tea and cookies?" asked Willow as she wrenched the stuck zipped up and down. She was still mad.

"Well you never told me that you could do that," Jackie said.

"You never asked," Willow returned. She gave up on the zipper with an exasperated sigh. 

"Here, lemme see," Jackie said. She took hold of the zipper and unzipped the flap easily. 

"Why me?" sighed Willow as she climbed inside the tent. It was pitch black inside, so she had to feel her way around. She took her shoes off and got inside one of the sleeping bags. Jackie zipped the flap back up and she got into her own sleeping bag. There was a silence at first, but then Jackie decided to speak.

"I'm never gonna forget John getting his ass royally kicked by you, you know," Jackie said, amusement in her voice. "I'm so pissed off that he said that stuff about Kurt," she said, her voice becoming serious.

"I am too," Willow agreed. 

"He so doesn't look like Satan," said Jackie. "Satan isn't black."

"Kurt's blue," Willow corrected her gently as to not hurt her feelings.

"Oh, right. Sorry...the eyes, you know...," Jackie said with embarrassment. 

"He deserved what he got," said Willow after a small pause.

"I know he did. He likes to get people mad, he thinks it's funny," Jackie said. 

"That's a really bad habit. He's gonna get hurt worse than he did tonight if he says that stuff to the right people," Willow said. There was another pause.

"You were holding back, weren't you?" asked Jackie softly.

"A little bit," Willow admitted. She hoped that she hadn't frightened her friend too badly.

"I wish I had that kind of control," Jackie sighed.

"You'll get it," Willow said. 

"I mean, it takes all I've got to keep the electricity on the down low. Half the time my hair's sticking straight up, and I accidentally shock people when I touch them on a regular basis," Jackie said. "No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to make it do what I want it to. This stuff could really hurt somebody, and I can't control it."

"I doubt that you'll go your entire life without being able to control it. It'll probably be like math. Sometimes it takes a long time to get, but when you do, it just sorta clicks," Willow said.

"I hope so," Jackie said. "I'm so glad we're friends. You always have good advice. You're kinda like the big sister I never had."

"Well, thanks," Willow said with a smile that was covered by the darkness of the tent. Jackie sighed. Willow could tell there was more on her mind.

"Why isn't romance as easy for me as it is for you?" she wondered aloud.

"I doubt that my romance will be any easier than yours," Willow sighed. "I have a feeling that John isn't the only one in the world who won't appreciate me feeling how I do about Kurt," Willow said. "I think it's only going to get harder from here on out."

"Well I think it's all very cute," Jackie said. "I just wish I had some cuteness of my own. After all those things John said, it almost turned me off. But I can't help but cling to all the good things about him."

"Don't you dare stop liking him just because I hate his miserable guts," Willow said firmly. Then she rethought her statement. "Well...I guess I don't _hate_ him. He's just an ass hole who doesn't know how to quit before he gets his face kicked in."

"But that's how he is," Jackie said. 

"So now the question is, can you tolerate the way he is while you wait for the good side of him to show through?" Willow said slowly.

"I dunno. It's hard because of what he said…about appreciating girls…that was so evil of him. I mean, I don't want someone who won't even _appreciate _me! I'm not just some piece of ass. I think I'm worth more than that," said Jackie with a sigh.

"You are!" cried Willow. "John's a pig, there's no way around it."

"Yeah…Well, g'night, Willow," Jackie said as she rolled over. 

"G'night," Willow said back. She shut her eyes and hoped that Jackie would be able to sort out her feelings before she was horribly let down. 

The next day, Jean had completely repaired the jet. They collapsed the tents and packed them away in the small cargo hold. A tension was still growing between Willow and John. Everyone could sense it. John took a seat in the back of the jet near Magneto and Mystique. Willow sat next to Kurt and listened to her headphones. They traveled on for hours. Willow didn't know exactly where they were going, or why they were going there, but she knew for a fact that they weren't going back to the mansion. They must have passed it an hour ago. She wanted to ask about their destination, but decided not to. Everyone looked so serious and grave that it was starting to make her uncomfortable. She glanced at Kurt who was staring straight ahead out the jet's windshield. He was fingering his rosary and every once in a while, his lips would form inaudible words. He caught her looking at him out of the corner of her eye and gave her a small smile. She smiled at him in return and pointed to her headphones, wondering if he wanted to listen. He held his hand up and shook his head. Willow nodded and looked down at her folded hands in her lap. She felt something touch her leg. It made her jump a little, but she calmed down when she realized that Kurt was gently wrapping his tail around her calf. She looked over at him and smiled affectionately at him. He looked a little sheepish and looked back down at his rosary. Willow was glad that he was there. She would have felt horribly alone without him. As time passed, the weather became grayer, and eventually, snowier. Willow couldn't stand it anymore. She lowered her headphones and unbuckled her seat belt. 

"I'll be right back," she told Kurt. He nodded and unwrapped his tail from her leg. Willow made her way towards the front of the jet. Jean and Storm were piloting and Logan sat behind them.

"Hi," Willow said meekly.

"Hello," Storm said. There was a pause where no sound could be heard besides the distant roar of the jet's engines.

"I was sorta wondering where exactly we're going and what's going on," Willow said gingerly.

"We're headed to a place in Canada called Alkali Lake. The Professor and Scott have been captured by a man named William Stryker, who is holding them hostage. Stryker has an underground base near there where he built a second Cerebro. He plans to use Charles to kill all the mutants with his telepathy," Jean said.

"Can he do that?" asked Willow.

"If he concentrated hard enough, definitely," Jean said. 

"So we're going to Alkali Lake to save the Professor, Scott, and every other mutant on the planet...," Willow said, making sure she had it all straight.

"Yes," Jean said. Willow nodded.

"Alright. That's all I wanted to know...," she said quietly as she turned around to find her seat again. She said down and sighed.

"Vat did zey say? You look like you've seen a ghost," Kurt said.

"Jean just told me that we're going to Canada to stop a man from killing all the mutants on the planet with my hostage principle's telepathy," Willow said. "That means us." Kurt let these words run through his head.

"Zat's very bad," he said.

"Yes, it is," Willow agreed. Kurt looked at his companion's worried face. 

"Don't vorry," he said softly. "I sink zese people know vat zey are doing."

"I hope so," Willow said. "Dying wasn't on my agenda for today." Kurt could tell she was upset. He was a little hesitant at first, but he ended up doing what he really wanted to do at that particular moment. He found Willow's hand and held it in his own. He wished his hands weren't so odd so that they might lock fingers. Willow squeezed his hand gently. She loved how soft his skin was. It felt so soft that she thought it might be incredibly fine fur, but it was hard to tell. In any case, he made her feel a little more secure.

A half an hour lapsed before the jet began its descent towards the snowy ground. The landing gear came out from under them and with a gentle bump, the jet landed safely. Jean, Storm, Logan, Magneto, and Mystique got up and gathered around a three-dimensional map of the dam that Storm had brought up and projected from the jet's computer. 

"Alright, the only way to enter the base is through this spillway. If they see us coming, they could flood the whole thing with water," Jean said.

"I'll go. Stryker won't flood it if I go in first," Logan said.

"Are you certain? He may let you in and then kill you," said Magneto.

"I'll risk it," Logan said gruffly.

"But I won't," Magneto said, turning to his scaly blue assistant. It was decided that Mystique would go into the dam as Logan. She would then get into the dam's computer system and open the doors for the others. 

It was very strange and almost unsettling to see Mystique change into Logan in a matter of seconds. She looked like Logan, she sounded like Logan, and for all intents and purposes, she _was_ Logan. She departed from the jet and headed towards the spillway. They all waited for several minutes in suspense and anticipation before they heard anything from Mystique. Finally, the radio came to life.

"I'm in," Mystique's voice muttered over the radio.

"She's good," Logan said approvingly.

"You have no idea," Magneto said. Willow wished he hadn't said that because it provoked unpleasant thoughts to surface in her head. 

"Willow, can I talk to you?" asked Jean. It wasn't really a question. Willow followed her to the back of the jet. Jean pressed a button making several compartments of uniforms slide out of either side of the wall. "I need you to make a choice," Jean said in a low voice so that it was almost impossible for the others to hear. "I need you to decide whether you want to stay here and wait for us with the kids, or come with us into the dam." Willow looked at Jean's serious face.

"Why are you asking _me_ this? Why not someone like Jackie or Bobby?" asked Willow. "They're so much...braver than me."

"Because your strength and agility will be the most useful in there," said Jean. "And you have the most control over your gifts, which is very important. You have to make a decision now. We can't waste time." Willow's stomach knotted with uncertainty and anxiety. She fiddled with her hands as she thought about it. _Am I a kid or an adult?_ She wondered for about the thousandth time. _Kid, or adult....?_ She bit her lip. She looked at the uniforms. To enter the dam would mark her crossing over the line of maturity. But would that cut her off from her friends? She looked back at her friends who were still in Bobby's clothes. They looked a little scared that they had been dragged into all of this involuntarily, but all of them seemed to be trying their hardest to hide it. Then she looked at each figure of authority. Storm, Logan, and Jean. _Am I ready to be like them?_ Wondered Willow. Then she looked back at her friends again. _Or do I want to stay with my friends and procrastinate? _She bit down on her lip harder. Why was such a simple question so hard to answer? _I'm eighteen. I am a legal adult. I have to start acting like one,_ she told herself firmly. At last, Willow sighed and nodded to Jean.

"I'll come with you," she said. 

"You'll need one of these, then," Jean said, handing her a uniform.

"Man, I thought I'd gotten out of wearing one of these," Willow groaned as she took it. 

"They're water proof, fire proof, and are also heat and cold resistant," Jean said. "It's for your own good."

"Do I just put this over my clothes?" asked Willow.

"Yes, but you're going to have to take your sweatshirt off," Jean said. She pulled her sweatshirt over her head and chucked it to Jackie, who caught it. She looked concerned for Willow. Willow had never seen that face on Jackie. Willow struggled with the uniform while Logan did the same with his. She finally got zipped up and turned around to Jackie.

"How do I look?" asked Willow, putting a hand on her hip and flipping her hair in a wannabe sexy pose.

"Like an ass," Jackie mumbled. Willow laughed quietly, though it sounded nervous. "Don't get killed," Jackie said. Willow remembered Jackie saying this before they went to collect Kurt, and realized how close they'd actually come to getting killed since then. She hoped that wouldn't happen today.

"Same to you," she replied as she had before. 

"Ready?" asked Jean. 

"Not really," Willow said. "But I'll go."

"You kids stay in here. Do _not_ leave the jet," Jean stressed to the others. They nodded in reply before Magneto, Jean, Storm, Logan, Kurt, and Willow walked down the steps and exited the jet. The cold, mountain air stung Willow's sensitive cheeks as they trudged through the snow towards the spillway of the dam. As they entered it, their footsteps echoed off the cold, damp walls. It was a sort of hollow, ominous echo that made Willow feel as if they were about to be ambushed. Luckily, no such thing happened. They came to a huge door that split in half and slid open upon their approach. They cautiously entered and found the entire place devoid of anyone, save the guards lying either unconscious or dead on the floor. The ceiling was relatively high here, but the halls that branched off had very low ceilings. The whole place was cold and mildewed. Large computer screens were everywhere, and in the center of the room, a large, circular station was situated. Willow couldn't guess what it was for. All she knew was that no one was coming out to stop them.

****

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A/N: Alright, now the action part starts! But the next chapter's a little sad, so Sashi, I want you to get some tissues at the ready if you feel like you're gonna need them. Read on, it's getting good!


	13. Ch 13

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Thirteen *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"Where is everyone?" muttered Willow, her voice breaking the eerie quiet of the base.

"I don't know. Be on your guard," Jean said. Willow looked nervously over at Kurt, who looked just as worried. Another large door slid open on their right. Jean and Storm lead the way cautiously. They looked into the room and found that it was only Mystique. She was digging around in the dam's computers when the others entered. The room looked to be some sort of surveillance center. The whole front wall was covered with screens. Each showed a different part of the base. Some showed down corridors where guards stood vigilantly, and others showed empty, cavernous hallways. 

"The Professor is in Cerebro as we speak. There's not much time left. It's located about three floors down," Mystique said. Willow's eyes were still scanning the screens, and she was suddenly shocked to see some of the kids from school locked in what looked like a dark, damp, prison cell. They were trying to get out, but every time they did, it looked as if they were being electrocuted. A face stared straight into the camera. Willow gasped.

"Jubilee," she murmured.

"The children...," Storm whispered. "Where are they?"

"They're in a containment cell a level down," Mystique replied. 

"Can you teleport inside?" Storm asked Kurt.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I have to see vere I'm going. Othervise I could end up inside a vall."

"Alright, we'll have to find it on our own. Will you come with me?" asked Storm. He nodded. Storm then turned to Willow. "Willow, we might need you."

"Me? What for?" asked Willow. 

"Because if worse comes to worse, we may need your fighting abilities," Storm said. Although she would much rather fight with her plants, something that she could totally control, Willow knew that this situation was far bigger than her petty preferences. This involved millions of lives. 

"Alright," she said finally. 

"Then we'll go try to find the Professor and Scott," Jean said.

"Right. Let's go," Storm said. Kurt and Willow followed her out of the control room and down a corridor. Willow wondered if Storm really knew where she was going or if she was just heading somewhere, hoping she'd end up in the right spot. Willow decided that it must have been the second one. The halls were dark, cold, and they smelled of mildew. Their quick-paced footsteps echoed loudly off the walls. The lamps above them gave off only a dim, eerie light. Willow could see that the bulbs were dirty and probably about to go out. She wondered for the second time why no one was present to ward them off. They traveled on for several minutes in no particular direction. 

"We have to find some stairs or an elevator," Storm said with a strong, but worried voice. The children meant a lot to her. To lose them would be devastating. 

"I think we've gone the wrong way," Willow said gingerly.

"Let's just keep trying with this way," Storm said. "Just for a little longer." Willow was beginning to doubt the existence of any stairs in this part of the base. They'd been searching for almost a half an hour, and all they seemed to be getting accomplished was getting lost in the dark labyrinth of hallways. 

"Here!" cried Storm. They'd found the stairs. They followed them down to the floor below. It was considerably more mildewey down in this part, and the shadows seemed a little deeper. Willow was surprised at how well Kurt blended in with them. Storm sped up from a quick walk to a jog as they reached the end of the hallway. It forked at the end. She could hear them now. The children were crying for help.

"This way!" cried Storm as she took a left towards the voices. Willow and Kurt could hear them now too. The hallway ended abruptly and left them inside a room with a low ceiling and a large, circular iron grate in the floor. The kids were beneath it. "Children!" Storm said.

"Storm!" cried a few of them. Willow counted six kids inside the dark cell. Some of them were wrapped in thin blankets, but others were without. "Get us out! Please!" 

"We'll get you out," Storm assured them. With a soft _bamf_ of imploding air, Kurt disappeared. He reappeared inside the cell. He was first concealed in the shadows. When he stepped out of them, the kids backed away with a gasp.

"I von't hurt you," he promised them. He wrapped his arms around one of the frightened children and teleported him out of the cell. One by one, all six kids were escorted above the grate. 

"Willow, what're you doing in here?" asked Jubilee. Her teeth were chattering, and there were goose bumps on her skin.

"Helping to save you guys," Willow said. 

"Never thought I'd see you as an X-man," Jubilee said.

"Me neither," Willow agreed. A horrible vibration along with a hollow groan of metal and concrete issued from somewhere above them.

"What was that?" asked one of the younger kids. 

"I don't know," Storm muttered. Willow suddenly felt strange. It was almost like someone was reading her mind, but instead of just sifting through her thoughts, it felt like they were being thrown aside roughly. A shrill, earsplitting noise erupted in the air around them. Willow clutched at her ears and dropped to her knees. She could feel her eyes glowing like crazy. The pain in her mind was almost unbearable. _This is it,_ she thought. _We've failed._ The others didn't look like they felt any better. Kurt was starting to disappear into a dark blue haze. He was losing control over his teleportation. Willow found his hand and held onto it. He grasped it tightly and came back into full focus. After almost a full minute of this, Willow felt like she wanted to die. But as soon as she was about to give up, whatever it was stopped. She felt better in an instant. As soon as she recovered, a large drop of water hit Willow on the head. It soaked through her hair and onto her scalp. She reached up with a gloved hand and felt her hair. She looked at her glove as she got to her feet and saw that there was moisture on it. She looked above her and saw a crack that had just opened up in the cement ceiling. It was dripping with water. She tried to think of why there would be water dripping down on them. Maybe the vibration minutes before had ruptured a pipe? Or maybe...Willow put two and two together.

"The dam's breaking," she whispered. "The dam's breaking!" she said louder. Willow began to panic. Her face flushed. She could just imagine what would happen when it broke. She could just see the entire dam caving in on them, showering everyone inside with concrete and metal, followed by a horrendous tidal wave of frigid water. They had to get out. To come so far just to fail seemed too tragic for Willow. Why did this have to happen? They had freed the kids, and evidently, Jean, Logan, Mystique, and Magneto had stopped Stryker's machine. She couldn't think of anything that she could possibly do to remedy the situation. Nothing that would help. But suddenly, she had an epiphany. What if she _could_ stop it? What if she could use vines, ivy, whatever it took, to hold the dam up? What if she could save the lives of the people she loved? Although the idea seemed crazy, she felt that she had no other options. She had to save her friends, even if it meant dying in the process. She wondered if she had a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding.

Another sickening groan filled the air around them, followed by a rumbling vibration that shook the base again. The wall next to them cracked a little and sent little chunks of the wall tumbling onto the floor. Willow bit her lip. It was time to make a big decision. Trying something like this could easily kill her. But it seemed unimportant. It was time to help the team. It was time to protect her family. She looked at Storm. "I've got an idea, but it's kind of bad, and I don't know if it'll work."

"What is it?" asked Storm.

"I think if I can get outside in front of the dam, I might be able to hold it together with plants, giving everyone else a chance to get out," she said. Storm stared at her for a second.

"Are you sure you'll be able to do it?" asked Storm. "Are you sure it won't take too much out of you?" Willow said nothing. Storm waited for a response, but spoke again when she got none. "Whenever you work out in the garden, you come in and fall straight to sleep," she pointed out. She was right, of course, but Willow hoped that if she tried hard enough, she wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of it. 

"I have to try. It's the only thing I can think of to do to help," Willow said. Storm looked skeptical and worried. "Please," Willow said. "I have to do this." Storm looked into the young woman's determined, yet pleading eyes. Ever since Willow had come to the mansion, Storm had known the kind of inner strength that resided within her. At times she had even admired the girl's endurance and will to go on. But such a feat might require more than Willow possessed. Still, Storm could not deny Willow the chance to help them. If indeed Willow was able to hold it together, it would give them the time they needed to meet up with everyone and get out.

"Can you get Willow outside, Kurt?" asked Storm softly. She couldn't help but feel that she was sending Willow to her doom. 

"I vill try," he said. Kurt looked at Willow with sadness and devastation in his eyes. Here stood his best friend, his companion, and his shoulder to lean on, willing to risk everything for the sake of everyone else. His heart ached at the thought of losing Willow to the dam. But he had to take her. He had to do something right for her. He embraced her tightly, and she him. With a _bamf_ and a cloud of curling, dark blue smoke, they were gone. 

Willow held onto Kurt tighter than she ever had. She knew how risky it was to try to do what she was about to attempt. She knew that she might very well die from a strain like this. She knew she might never see Jackie, or Rogue, or Bobby ever again. But worst of all, she knew that if she failed, she would never see Kurt again, and it broke her heart to think of it. Willow could suddenly feel the harsh mountain wind pummel her. They were outside the spillway. She tried to pull away, but Kurt held onto her. His hand pressed on the back of her head gently. She rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"I don't vant you to go," he whispered. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her.

"I have to," Willow said.

"Please," Kurt said desperately. "Please don't do zis."

"You have to go help the others. They need you in there," Willow told him. 

"Come back vis me," Kurt said miserably, his eyes entreating her silently.

"No," Willow said softly. "No, I have to do this. If I don't, we might all die."

"Vat if you don't come back?" he said in a voice that was bearly audible.

"Then you guys'll have to live without me," Willow said. It hurt her so much to tell him something like that. But it was true.

"I don't vant to live visout you," he said. 

"Go back inside, Kurt," Willow told him softly in his ear. She hated the way he was making her rethink her decision. "Please." He took a deep breath, his chest expanding against her. When he let it out, he shuddered. He was trying not to cry. He hugged her tighter for a moment, then let go. Willow couldn't stand the horribly sad expression he bore. "Pray for me," Willow said. "Pray that everything goes well."

"I vill," he said quietly with a nod.

"Goodbye, Kurt," she said, a note of helplessness resonating in her tone.

"Goodbye, Willow," he said, trying his best to make the English 'W' sound, his voice horse. Her name stuck out like a sore thumb. It was the first time he had said her name in English since they had met. Her eyes filled with tears upon hearing it, for some reason, and a lump grew in the back of her throat. She turned away from him and ran at full speed through the snow towards the breaking dam. Kurt watched her go. He shook his head and prayed as he teleported back inside the dam.

The dark gray clouds churned above Willow's head as she ran through the trees. The freezing mountain air ripped up and down her throat as she became more out of breath from running through the dense snow. After a few minutes, she burst through the trees. A river of steel gray water flowed in front of her. The dam, her first and final opponent, loomed in front of her. She took a deep breath and approached it. She looked first for signs of damage. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a crack spread across the cement. _Not yet!_ She cried in her head. She closed her eyes and focused. She focused on the ground below her. The harshness of the air around her seemed to disappear. All that mattered were the plants. She could feel them writhing beneath the earth. She waited. She waited until she could feel them grow stronger. She waited until she could tell she had absolute control over them. She put her hands down at her sides, her palms facing the dam. She took one last deep breath and prepared to hold on for dear life. Willow thrust her hands straight up into the air, flinging her head backwards. Vines of ivy and creepers that were larger-than-life burst from the frozen soil on either side of the river. She opened her eyes. They glowed green brighter than they ever had before. She began moving her hands quickly, but carefully, directing the plants, telling them where to go. The ivy spread over the front of the dam, it's roots gripping onto the cement that was beginning to fall away. It helped keep the broken pieces in their places. More was starting to crumble. She brought her right hand upward swiftly and then thrust it outward, directing a creeper that was approximately two feet in diameter to the broken part. It pushed the chunk of concrete back into the place where it had started to fall. She made ivy grow over the top of it to secure the piece. She waited for a moment. Nothing was moving. _Is that it?_ Wondered Willow. The dam was silent. Not a single crack could be heard. Creepers waved and swayed in the air like snakes ready to strike. The twisting of the vines and the whistle of the wind through her ears were the only sounds that could be heard. Just as Willow began to believe that she had actually done it, a horrible groan ripped through the air. It shook the ground below her. The pieces of cement she'd secured only moments earlier leaned dangerously on the plants that were holding them before tearing through the ivy and falling into the river below with loud crashes. Her insides exploded in pain when her plants were destroyed. She gritted her teeth.

"No!" shouted Willow through them. She sent the other vines to catch the pieces that were quickly falling away and set them back into place. More ivy coated the patched spot. The cold was getting to the first wave of plants. Willow could feel them start to die. She put all her energy into making them live for a little while longer. _Not yet! Not yet!_ Her mind cried. Her muscles in her arms were starting to cramp, and her hands shook violently. She focused her energy and steadied her hands. The ivy held on tighter. One of the sections that jutted out into the river cracked and slid off into the water. She couldn't save that one. She quickly spread more ivy over the section where it had broken free. Every time she focused on a new breaking point, the other parts would grow a little weaker, causing the loose pieces beneath them to grow looser. She was starting to feel exhausted. The dam was breaking everywhere at the same time. It was overwhelming, and she didn't know if she could hold it that much longer. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Kurt and Storm, who had been joined by Scott and a very injured Jean Grey stood outside the grungy door of Cerebro. The kids were behind them as well. A whirring sound could be heard on the inside. It was now or never. The dam was breaking, and the Professor was still being held prisoner.

"What's going on in there?" asked Storm.

"There's another mutant...he's creating some sort of illusion...," Jean said, trying her best to sense what was going on while pain shot up her body from her broken leg. She concentrated harder. Her eyes grew wide when she was able to grasp what was going on.

"What is it?" asked Storm. 

"Magneto's changed the direction of the attack. It's not targeting mutants anymore," Jean said.

"Then who is it targeting?" asked Storm.

"Everyone else," Scott said. 

"We have to get him out of there," Jean said. "Before he starts to kill people." Storm looked at Kurt who was gripping his rosary beads as if he were hanging on for dear life. He was whispering words that she could not hear.

"Kurt?" she asked. He looked up at her with tear filled eyes. "Can you get me inside?"

"I told you, I have to see vere I'm going, or at least have been zer before," Kurt told her.

"I trust you," she said. "I have faith in you." Kurt thought about this for a moment. If there was one way to save Willow, it was to save the Professor, and get out as quickly as possible. 

"Don't believe _anything_ you see in there," Jean said. "Nothing." Kurt got closer to Storm.

"our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed, be zy name...," he said as he put his arms around her. He continued the Lord's prayer as he focused on teleporting. "Zy Kingdome come, zy vill be done on Earth as it is..," he said right before they disappeared. Kurt was amazed to feel substance beneath his feet. "As it is in Heaven!" he said through an astounded sigh of relief. He had done it! But something was wrong. The whirring that he'd heard on the outside of Cerebro was completely gone. Instead, there was complete silence. He looked down the walkway and saw a little girl there, probably only ten or eleven. She was in a white nightgown and had one blue eye and one brown eye. She looked at them quietly.

"Hello," she said, her voice ringing through the circular room. "Who are you looking for?" Kurt began to step forward to try and talk to her, but Storm held her arm out to stop him.

"Don't listen to her," Storm said.

"But she's just a little girl," Kurt said.

"No she's not," Storm said. She looked around. "Professor? Are you in here?" she shouted. The girl looked at Storm like she was crazy.

"Who are you talking to?" she asked. Storm looked back at Kurt.

"Kurt, it's about to get very cold in here," she said.

"I'm not going anyvere," he assured her. Storm's eyes became white as she held up her arms. A frigid wind began to pick up around her. It swirled around them, becoming colder and colder.

"What are you doing? Stop it!" cried the girl. Kurt felt like he was about to freeze to death. He fell to his knees and shivered profusely. He wished that Willow were there with him. He wished that she would have agreed to come back inside the dam. But more than anything else, he wished that she would have stayed at the mansion rather than come with her teachers to apprehend him. _If she dies, it is all my fault,_ he thought miserably as all the moisture on his skin froze. He looked up at what was happening between Storm at the girl. The girl looked around in a panic as she shivered. 

"Oh no, he's going to be so mad at me!" she said before letting out a bloodcurdling scream. Suddenly, she was gone. In her place were two men sitting in wheelchairs. One looked like he was in a trance, the one with the sort of helmet on. The other, who was in the exact spot that the girl had been standing, was drooped over and shivering with cold. His eyebrows and around his mouth and nose were coated with frost. The ceiling began to crack. Kurt watched as parts of it began to fall down around them. He teleported to the Professor, grabbed him, and teleported back out. He handed him over to Scott while he went back in for Storm. He grabbed her too just before a large chunk of ceiling crashed onto the spot where she had stood a moment later. She and Kurt held up the Professor, who was completely out of his trance and ran towards the exit. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Willow's insides were screaming at her to stop. _This is futile!_ Her mind shouted at her. _Stop before you kill yourself!_ But she couldn't listen to her mind. Not now. Not if she wasn't sure if Kurt and everyone else made it out safely. Large pieces were falling off, ripping through her plant barriers, faster than she could grab them. Exhaustion seized every inch of her body. Her knees were shaking and were threatening to buckle beneath her, but she forced herself to stay erect. With one final blast of energy from deep inside her, she coated the dam from top to bottom with one last, exceptionally strong coat of ivy. She crumpled into the snow below her, and was barely able to breathe. She gasped for breath as her whole body shook as if it were having a seizure. She waited in agony and pain for the end.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"We left the jet right here," Storm said, her voice slightly panicked. They had gotten out. They were so close to succeeding, to going home. And now the jet was gone.

They had since been joined by Logan who was carrying one of the children who had not been able to walk on his own any further. All of the kids were freezing cold, and they had no where to go to escape the frigid air. They looked around helplessly for a moment. A roar of jet engines could be heard not far off. The jet careened into view. Whoever was piloting it did not have much experience. It flew to one side wildly before touching down with the least amount of grace possible. They hurried towards the jet. They got the kids in and sat them all in seats. Storm and Kurt set the Professor down in one of the seats and buckled him in. Jackie and Bobby were already sitting down. Jackie looked terrified, and Bobby looked concerned. Storm went to help Rogue, who was the one flying the jet before. She was scared stiff and was shaking something aweful.

"It's alright, honey, you can let go...you can let go...," Storm said softly. She helped Rogue let go of the steering wheel and helped her back into a seat. "Okay, let's get out of here," said Storm. She tried to start up the jet but nothing happened. A knot formed in her stomach. _Don't you dare not work,_ she thought. She tried again, and again, but the jet remained lifeless. "Jean, come here," Storm said. Jean came over to help Storm fire up the jet.

"Where's John?" Bobby piped up.

"Pyro? Where the hell did he get to, anyway?" wondered Logan. 

"Last time we saw him, he left the jet," Jackie said. 

"He's with Magneto," the Professor said.

"Are you sure?" asked Logan. He nodded weakly. 

"What about Willow? What happened to Willow?" asked Jackie. Kurt's heart stopped. 

"Mein Gott!" he cried before disappearing from the jet. His mind was racing. Was she still holding the dam? Was she even still alive? He reappeared in a dense wood before teleporting again. He appeared in front of the dam. It was completely covered with dying vines, ivy, and creepers. He could see water spurting out from the cracks in the stone. He felt sick with anxiety and worry. He looked around for any sign of her. Then he saw a figure lying sprawled out on the snow, shaking terribly.

"_Weide!_" he cried. He teleported over to her. Her eyes were still glowing. He picked her up into his arms. He took one last look at the breaking dam before teleporting the both of them back inside the jet. He set her down on the floor and everyone looked to see what had happened to her. Jean and Storm, who had been trying to bring the lifeless jet back into commission, stopped and looked over at the scene that was unfolding. Willow had stopped shaking for the most part, but she was breathing in short gasps.

"Willow?" asked Jackie. Willow didn't answer. "Willow!" cried Jackie. Willow was silent. Willow blinked, making the glow die down enough in her eyes for Kurt to see the outline of her irises. She looked at him, her vision severely blurred. The pain inside her was horrible, and the exhaustion in her body was crippling. She could barely speak.

"Kurt," she whispered with a weak smile. "I tried," she said. "I tried...but it's not going to hold. I'm sorry." Kurt shook his head as he cradled her in his arms. 

"You did vonderfully," he said softly. 

"I'm so tired...," she said. "I have to go to sleep now."

"Please don't leave me," Kurt said. 

"I won't....I just have to sleep," Willow murmured. She closed her eyes and was about to give in to sleep. Suddenly, her body became stiff. A look of pure pain took over Willow's face. Her eyes glowed blindingly bright. She uttered a few deep gasps before letting out a long, low scream of agony. She repeated this a few times to the horror of everyone in the jet. Her body writhed, and tears slid down her face as the plants covering the dam were ripped to shreds. Kurt was horrified to witness this. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide in terror. Several of the younger kids began to cry in fear. Willow's pain subsided slowly. Her body slowly became limp, and she managed to say one more thing. 

"The dam is gone," she breathed. "I'm sorry." Her breath caught in her throat. Slowly, the glow in her eyes died, and they rolled into the back of her head. Her breathing completely stopped. Kurt waited anxiously for her chest to begin to rise again. But it didn't.

"Willow?" asked Jackie, panic stricken. She was shaking, and tears were welling up in her eyes. "Willow!" she screamed. "Willow, quit fuckin' around! Wake up!" Everyone in the jet looked on in horror as Kurt held her motionless body in his arms. He looked up as if to ask God 'why?' A moan of undiluted grief and sadness issued from deep inside him. His head dropped slowly. It met Willow's sweat soaked forehead and rested there gently. Tears of absolute despair fell onto the soft skin of his friend and his companion as he rocked back and forth with her._ Not Villow. Please God, not Villow..._ he prayed to his God in heaven.

"Vake up...," he whispered to her. "Please vake up!" His body shuddered with painful tears. _Don't take her from me! _He pleaded to God.He tried to talk to Willow's motionless figure again. "I don't vant to live visout you.... Please, I don't vant to be alone," he sobbed miserably. "Don't leave me, Villow...Come back..." Almost everyone in the jet was in miserable tears, but Kurt's sorrow was greater than all of theirs combined. Storm tore her eyes away from Kurt and Willow. _This is all my fault. I should have never let her go,_ Storm thought. She began to try more things to get the jet going, but none of them seemed to be working. Logan and Scott came by to try and help Storm. Jean stood and looked at Willow sadly. She looked at Kurt and how devastated he was over how dead Willow appeared to be. Jean could tell that Willow was alive, but only just. The ordeal had very nearly killed her, and if she didn't get treatment soon, she would probably die. Jean could not let her friends, her family, and her husband drown. Not after Willow's crippling attempt to save them. She mentally prepared for what she was about to do. She formed a strong mental block so that the Professor could not stop her. She limped over and pressed the button that let down the hatch. She climbed down the steps, pain shooting up her side every time she put any pressure on it. Scott turned around and spotted his wife descending down the hatch steps.

"Jean, no!" he cried. He raced towards the hatch, but it closed tight before he could get there. He pounded on the hatch button in vain. Jean limped out in front of the jet. She closed her eyes. Here senses were alive. She could feel the wall of water approaching them. She could hear all the wild thoughts going on in everyone's heads. Thoughts of trying to save at least a few of them. It made Jean sad that she was going to leave them all behind. She could hear Kurt, loudest out of everyone, pleading with God to give Willow back to him. _Kurt,_ she thought to him. Kurt's head snapped up inside the jet. _Kurt, Willow is alive. Don't give up hope just yet. When you get back to the mansion, she needs to get medical attention as soon as she can. _She felt Kurt become considerably less sad and far more hopeful. _Sank you,_ she heard him think. She smiled, happy to be able to help one person. Now she had to say goodbye to Scott. It was the most painful thing she had ever had to do. She focused in on the Professor. 

"I have to do this," she said through him. Scott looked around at the Professor. "It's the only way."

"No, Jean...," said Scott sadly. "Don't."

"Goodbye," the Professor said. He blinked his eyes and Jean was gone from him. Jean could feel Scott's heart break. But it was the only way. She had to save them. She could see the water now. She concentrated, building up her power to dangerous levels. With the only strength that she was able to spare before the water came, she said goodbye to everyone individually.

The water loomed over her, and with every ounce of energy in her, she seized the jet with her mind. It came to life. She held the jet in her control with one hand. She could hear the rushing of the water as it drew nearer. It was almost there. She turned around and thrust one of her hands in front of her when the wall of icy water was only a few feet away. The water parted and roared past the jet like a freight train. She raised her hand slowly, lifting the jet into the air. The landing gear tucked themselves back under the jet as it cleared the water. Jean could see Ororo and Logan's faces staring down at her. She locked eyes with each of them briefly before closing her eyes and letting the water take her.

Logan stood back from the windshield. He couldn't believe what had just happened. 

"She's gone," he said quietly.

"Don't you say that!" yelled Scott coming over to him dangerously.

"She is," Logan said to him.

"No!" Scott cried grabbing Logan like he might hit him. 

"She's gone," Logan said, his voice trembling. Scott sobbed onto Logan's shoulder. Logan was too shocked to cry. Storm fought back tears as she drove the jet back towards New York. 

Kurt held Willow close the whole way back, muttering prayers for all of them. He prayed to God that Willow would live to grow another flower. 

****

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A/N: Ack! Numbing suspense!! Woo, that was entertaining...


	14. Ch 14

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*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Fourteen *-*

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"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A/N: Whew, it's been a while. Sorry for the delay, but I really haven't had the time to update. Right, well, you've only got three more chapters to read through. Only three!

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The jet landed on top of the basketball court during the early hours of the morning. They brought out a wheelchair for the Professor and helped him into it. Kurt followed Storm and the Professor into the mansion, carrying Willow in his arms. The interior was a mess. Dead men that looked as if they were from the S.W.A.T. team littered the floor, flies buzzing around their stab wounds. Kurt stepped over them.

"Vere should I put her?" he asked quietly. 

"For now, in her dorm room. We'll move her to her own room so that she is not disturbed later. Jackie, will you show Kurt to the room?" asked the Professor.

"Sure," Jackie said in a monotonous voice. She was not taking the days events well at all. Jean was dead, Willow was severely injured, and John was with Magneto. It couldn't get much worse. 

She led the way up to the dorm room. When she reached the top of the stairs, she could see the dark shapes of the men that had attacked she and Bobby two days ago. They were dead. _I've killed someone,_ she thought in horror. _I'm a murderer_... She looked away from the men's bodies and showed Kurt to the dorm room.

"Her bed is the one on the end," Jackie said. Kurt walked over to the bed and lifted up the blankets with his tail. He deposited Willow beneath them and took the blankets from his tail so he could tuck her in gently. He ran a hand over the curve of her cheek. He sighed. "I'm sorry," Jackie said.

"It isn't your fault," Kurt said.

"Will you be alright?" asked Jackie.

"I sink so," Kurt said. 

"If you want to stay in here with her, I don't mind," Jackie said.

"Sank you," Kurt said in a voice that was just above a whisper. He sat down on the bed next to Willow's and sighed again. Jackie left him alone with Willow and went back downstairs. She put her hand over her face as she passed the men in the hallway. She joined back up with everyone else. 

"This place is a mess," Logan said.

"Yes. It will take a long time to get everything back to normal. But the house is the least of my worries. We have to find the children," he said. Logan showed him where Peter Rasputin had lead the children before they left for Bobby's parent's house while Storm and Scott checked around the house. They found some cowering under beds, others in closets. Some were just under their covers. Most of them were reluctant to come out of their hiding spots. Logan found Peter with a good-sized group of kids in a small room off the secret passageway they had entered.

"Some of the kids ran off outside, I think," Peter said.

"We'll use Cerebro to find them," Xavier said. 

They worked the rest of the night. By the time the sun rose the next morning, the last of the kids had been brought back to the mansion. Most of them were still on the grounds, but others had ventured out into the neighborhoods around them. The Professor made a call to one of his friends who was a coroner down in the city morgue. He said that he would be happy to help remove the bodies from the mansion. After the bodies were taken away, the Professor paid a visit to Kurt in Willow's dorm room while everyone began to pick up the debris. He found him crouching next to her bed in silent prayer.

"How is she?" asked the Professor. 

"Breazing, but not avake," Kurt responded.

"Normally I would be able to rely on Jean to take charge of the medical needs around here, but now...," he trailed off. "I do know someone that might be of some assistance. Do you know who Dr. Hank McCoy is?"

"I sink I may have heard of him," Kurt said.

"I think he'll be able to help her," said Xavier. "I'll send someone to collect him as soon as possible."

"Sank you," Kurt said. Xavier left the room. Kurt found Willow's hand and held it gently in both hands. _Please wake up soon, Weide._

Kurt barely moved from that spot all day. Storm had come up a few times offering him food and rest, but he politely declined. He wasn't hungry. He didn't want to leave Willow unattended. At about four in the afternoon, Kurt heard the jet leave the grounds. He waited several hours for it to return with help, but it felt like several days. At around seven that night, Xavier came back into the room, followed by an enormous man with huge hands and feet. It surprised Kurt to see someone so large and unusual looking. But then again, he himself was far more unusual looking. The man wore slacks and a nice white shirt with a tie that was loose around his neck. He was wearing a pair of small round glasses and a white lab coat that was unbuttoned in the front. His clean, obviously ironed clothes and polished spectacles had an air of intelligence about them.

"Kurt Wagner, Dr. Hank McCoy," the Professor said, introducing them. 

"It's nice to make your acquaintance," Hank said.

"Ja," Kurt said. 

"Is this her?" he asked coming closer. 

"Yes," said Xavier. Hank put two fingers against Willow's throat. He looked at his watch. 

"Her pulse is fine," he said. "It's a little faint, but there isn't anything abnormal about it.... You say she over used her powers?"

"Yes," said the Professor. "She has the power to create plants. She was holding the dam at Alkali Lake together, and when it broke, the death of the plants severely injured her. We all thought that she was dead."

"It's no wonder. Her strength is completely gone. She just barely made it," said Hank with a sigh. "This one is a fighter, I do believe." 

"Is she going to be alright?" asked Kurt.

"I think so," said Hank. "She probably won't be able do much more than blink for a while when she wakes up."

"Ven do you sink she vill be able to get up again?" asked Kurt.

"I'm not sure," Hank said. "As long as we can find a way to feed her, I think she'll be up and around in two weeks at the most. But first and foremost, I think she should stay in her own room."

"There's an extra room downstairs," said Xavier. Kurt stood up and lifted Willow into his arms. He followed the Professor and Dr. McCoy down the hallway. "I'll meet you downstairs," said Xavier as he directed his wheelchair towards the elevator while Kurt and Hank took the stairs. They met the Professor as he exited the elevator.

"This way," he said. He showed them to a vacant room with a queen-sized bead, a nightstand with a lamp and digital clock on top, a large dresser with a mirror over it, and a TV/VCR. Kurt set her down on the bed.

"Can we get this suit off her?" asked Hank, reaching for the zipper at the neck. Kurt grabbed Dr. McCoy's massive wrist with one of his three fingered hands.

"Don't," he said firmly.

"It must come off," Hank said in a serious tone.

"Can't somevan else do it? Somevan she knows better?" Kurt asked the Professor. 

"I'll have Ororo come and help," the Professor said. He called Storm telepathically. She came in and the Professor told her what needed to be done. She agreed to help, and Kurt herded everyone else out of the room, including himself. Storm came out minutes later, the X-men uniform in her arms. They reentered the room.

"Good. Now, as the doctor in the house, I don't want a lot of comings and goings through here," Hank said. "No loud noises, nothing that would disturb her." 

"Are you going to let me stay?" asked Kurt, dreading the answer. Hank looked a little reluctant to kick this poor tired man out of the room when he so obviously cared about its inhabitant.

"I don't want to say that you can't come in here, really, I just don't want there to be a lot of noise, is all. Occasional visits aren't at all out of the question," he said.

"I won't be staying all ze time," Kurt said. "I just don't vant her to be lonely."

"I understand," Dr. McCoy said. "I think for right now though, the poor thing just needs to rest."

"And I think you need some food and rest as well, Kurt," said the Professor.

"Oh, I'm fine," Kurt said. 

"The bags under your eyes beg to differ," he returned. "There's a bedroom right down the hall that you can stay in. I'll have Ororo bring you something to eat." Kurt reluctantly agreed and left Willow's side for the first time in over a day. He followed the Professor to a room two doors down from Willow's. Kurt looked around at the bare walls and neatly made bed. He observed the thin layer of dust that coated the TV screen. He remembered Willow telling him about all the movies they were going to watch, and it made him sad. He sat carefully on the edge of the bed; pressing his tail against his leg and letting it hang over the edge. He bowed his head and took up his rosary beads and began to pray. 

Ororo came in with a bowl of soup and a glass of water for him. Kurt looked up and thanked her as she set the tray on his bedside table, but he did not make any movements towards it.

"Are you going to be alright?" asked Ororo.

"I'm fine," he told her.

"Do you miss her?" Storm asked, meaning Willow.

"Terribly," Kurt said with a shaky smile. "It's very lonely visout her. I vas sort of counting on her to be vis me ven I got here..."

"I feel like it's my fault...I let her go out to the dam," Ororo said.

"No, it isn't your fault. It vas her choice. Ve make choices all ze time. If ve didn't, life wouldn't know vere to go next," Kurt said.

"Maybe that's why Jean did what she did," Storm said softly. 

"Possibly. She vas a brave woman to sacrifice herself for ze vans she loved," said Kurt. Storm nodded, trying not to show the pain she felt inside. 

"She was my best friend," Storm said softly.

"I am sorry," Kurt said sincerely. "I vish I could make you feel better."

"It's a sweet offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to fix this one on my own," Storm said. She headed for the door. "See you tomorrow, Kurt."

"Good night," he said. Storm left him to his own devices. He ate a little soup and drank all of the water before going back to his prayers. The only person who could help Kurt now was God. 

Kurt discarded his heavy coat and leather vest on the desk chair before climbing into bed at around ten, but could not seem to sleep well not knowing if Willow was safe. He left his bed several times in the night to check on her. She stayed in the same position all night. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next two weeks passed slowly for Kurt, but he was glad to hear that Willow was getting better. During that time, Dr. McCoy was able to get a hold of an I.V. He hooked Willow up to a liquid diet as soon as he could. The mansion was starting to be repaired. Everyone helped, even Dr. McCoy who possessed super human strength and the ability to climb walls, among other things. He and Kurt helped to fix the hard-to-reach places like second story windows and walls. Every night after the sunset on the workers, Kurt would come into Willow's room and told her of all the things that had gone on during the day, even though he knew she couldn't hear him. 

"Vis all of us vorking, ze mansion should be done in no time," Kurt told her as he held one of her limp hands in his. "But I feel sorry for ze children. Every night I hear zem wake up screaming. Ze attack still haunts zem in zeir dreams," he said sadly. "Mr. Summers isn't doing at all well. I rarely see him, and sometimes I can hear him crying in his room. Volverine isn't doing much better, but I never hear him cry," he paused for a moment, gently massaging the warm skin on the top of her hand with his thumbs. "I hope zat you can hear me, and zat you're avake...It is very lonely visout your smile." He scanned her peaceful face, looking for some sign of acknowledgment. He wanted her to know he was there. "It's getting late...I must leave you now. Please vake up soon," he told her quietly. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before he left the room with a _bamf_ of imploding air. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The next morning, Kurt woke up with a headache. He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed. The sun was shining through the slats in the blinds and he could see dust particles swirling in the rays. He got up and put his long-sleeved black shirt over his bare chest. He tucked the bottom into his pants and zipped up the vest over it. He straightened it and pulled it down further over his belt before teleporting into Willow's room.

What he saw made Kurt gasp. Willow had turned over on her side in her sleep sometime during the night. Kurt felt like laughing with joy, but kept quiet. He didn't want to wake her up before she was ready. He watched her sleep for a minute, noticing how much more alive she looked than the day before. The doorknob turned and the large figure of Dr. McCoy entered.

"How is she this morning?" he asked.

"She turned over. I sink she's getting better," said Kurt.

"That's a substantial improvement. At least we know she's recovering," said Hank.

"Do you sink zat she vill vake up soon?" asked Kurt anxiously.

"I don't see why she wouldn't. Her strength is obviously coming back. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she was up and about in a couple days," he replied cheerfully. 

"Zat's good news," Kurt sighed. 

"Why don't you go get some breakfast while I check up on her," Hank suggested. Kurt's stomach had been growling, but he had been good about ignoring it. He agreed reluctantly and used the door to exit the room. Hank checked Willow's pulse and found it to be stronger than ever. He was extremely surprised when she shifted her weight when he touched her neck. _Child's got strength to pass around,_ Hank thought with a smile. He unhooked her I.V. carefully. She hadn't been experiencing any major weight loss, and at the rate she was going, she would be up fairly soon. There was no need to keep it in. He chuckled gently to himself, satisfied with the results of his examination. He left the room and went downstairs to join Kurt for breakfast. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

****

Wow, what a short chapter. The next one is longer…Willow wakes up! 


	15. Ch 15

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*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Fifteen *-*

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"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A/N: Sorry I didn't mention this before, but Beast isn't furry and blue yet. I might find a way to do it later…we'll see. *wink, wink*

__

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The sunlight coming through the slats in the blinds made Willow inhale sharply and crinkle her face up. _Go away, sun, I don't wanna get up yet,_ she thought as she brought the covers over her head. After a few minutes of rolling over and trying to go back to sleep, she gave up and opened her eyes. She stayed under the blankets for a little while until it got too stuffy. She sat upright in the bed she was in. This was not her bed, and it was not her room. She could tell that she was in the mansion. The question was _where_. She tried to get up, but reconsidered when the muscles all over her body began to ache. She winced in pain, but got up anyway. Gravity got the best of her, making her realize how bad she needed to relieve herself. After a productive trip to the bathroom, she ventured out into the hallway. It was strangely deserted and smelled of freshly cut oak and new paint. She wondered for a moment why there would be a new paint smell until she remembered that the mansion was attacked. She remembered the dam and how she had almost died trying to save them all. She wished she could recall what happened after that, but she couldn't.

She ignored her slightly shaky memory and ventured upstairs, despite her legs' obnoxious protesting. She hobbled down the hallway towards her dorm room. She hoped that Jackie, Rogue and Jubilee were there so she could see if they were all right. Willow could hear the voices and laughter of her chatting roommates. She smiled, excited to see what their reactions would be to seeing her awake and more or less healthy. She turned into her room with a smile, but it soon faded into confusion. The whole room had stopped what they were doing and looked over at her. Willow looked at her bed, the one on the very end, and saw that someone else was occupying it. A girl of about sixteen sat there with three suitcases. She was unpacking. Willow's dresser drawers were open and inside were the girl's clothes folded neatly. The chatting and laughter from before was from her roommates talking to Willow's replacement. Willow's heart sank. Jackie, Rogue and Jubilee all jumped up when they saw her.

"Hi, Willow!" Jackie cried brightly, a smile on her face. She gave Willow a giant hug, pressing Willow's arms to her sides. Willow was so disoriented by the scene inside the room that she did not return the hug. 

"We didn't think you'd make it!" said Rogue, a happy smile spreading across her face.

"I'm so glad you're not dead!" Jackie cried. After a few seconds of silence, Jackie's brow furrowed. "What's the matter?"

"Who's that?" asked Willow, looking the poor girl straight in the face. She looked uncomfortable and tried to avoid Willow's confused, distant eyes.

"That's Emily...the new girl," Jubilee said.

"Where's my stuff?" asked Willow, looking around the room for anything that might remind her that she belonged there.

"In your room," Rogue said as if Willow was crazy.

"This _is_ my room!" Willow cried in distress. Why had everything changed? She wasn't asleep _that_ long, was she? 

"Didn't the Professor tell you? We got a new girl, and this was the only...spot...available...," Jackie trailed off. Willow felt like crying. "But he said you got a room to yourself downstairs! He had Storm take all your stuff down there and everything!"

"But...but...," Willow stammered. "That's my bed," she said quietly, pointing at her bed. All of them were at a loss for words. 

"S...sorry," she said lamely. Rogue and Jubilee stayed quiet with uncomfortable expressions. Willow nodded slowly and started back down the hall. _I've been out for longer than I thought_, she thought. 

"Where are you going?" asked Rogue as the three of them spilled out into the hall after her.

"I gotta...I just gotta find something that's the same...," Willow muttered. Jackie, Rogue and Jubilee stopped and stared at each other. Should they follow her? Ask her more questions? Try to make her feel better? Willow continued down the hall and disappeared down the stairs.

"Come on, gahs. We'll check up on her later," Rogue said as she herded the other two back inside the room. "She needs some time to herself." 

Willow padded down the hall into the living room, passing Kyle on the couch that sat in front of the TV. He had surprisingly given up his previous past time and had his nose in a particularly thick novel. _Is _anything_ the same around here?_ Willow wondered helplessly. 

"Welcome back," Kyle said without looking up.

"Thanks, kiddo," Willow said with a small smile. As she passed, she ruffled his hair. He looked up with a smirk and flattened it with one hand. She entered the kitchen, and found new things there as well. The island in the middle of the kitchen floor was new, and the cabinets had been replaced with new ones. Even the linoleum was new. She longed to see something that was the same. Anything would do. She looked in the refrigerator and smiled as she took out a carton of chocolate milk. No matter what changed in the mansion, chocolate milk would never be a bad thing. She opened the flap and put it to her lips. Right before the liquid reached her mouth, she smelled the rancid, sour scent of congealed milk, but it was too late. The sour milk had already penetrated her mouth. Her hand flew up to her mouth as she set down the carton and rushed over to the sink. She spit out the rotten milk and gagged a few times. She washed her mouth out, but the taste didn't go away. She looked around in the refrigerator for a quick fix. She found some jelly and decided that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich didn't sound half-bad. She dug around in the pantry and found the peanut butter and the bread. She got out a knife and spread the ingredients on the bleached white bread. As soon as the sandwich was together, Willow took a big chomp out of it. She though that she had never tasted anything so good in her entire life. Willow could tell that it was because she had not eaten in a while. As she was finishing up, she could hear the familiar sounds of children's laughter outside.

"At least they haven't changed," Willow mumbled to herself before pouring herself a glass of milk. She looked out the window and was surprised to see five of the younger kids playing with none other than Kurt Wagner. A smile spread slowly across her face as she watched him play tag, five against one. He was teleporting and doing acrobatic flips to dodge their small hands. He was smiling. He was happy. Willow loved to see him smiling and having fun. She couldn't stand sitting there and watching him without talking to him any longer. She abandoned her food and opened the sliding door that led out into the yard. She tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear as she walked across the cool grass with bare feet towards them. The laughter of the children was like music to Willow's ears. She folded her arms over her chest for warmth as a cool early April breeze blew by her. Kurt slowed down on purpose so the kids could catch him. They dove on him, clinging to his arms, waist and legs.

"Oh no!" he cried with a laugh as he toppled over intentionally, being careful to miss any kids that might be under him. He laughed again and Willow smiled more. She stood over the fallen Kurt and grinned. 

"Hey," she said softly. He stopped, his mouth slightly ajar. All the kids stared at her too.

"You're avake!" he cried happily. He struggled under the pile of kids that was on top of him, but they made a new game out of pinning him to the ground. "Children," he said, as he was trying to get up. "Children, I must get up...ve'll play later, I just need...," he muttered. He picked them off him with his tail and set them on their feet in the grass. They all looked very disappointed. "I promise to play vis you all later, but I need to talk to Villow. She has been very sick and I haven't been able to talk to her in a long time," he explained to them gently. 

"Promise?" asked one of them.

"I promise," Kurt said. They all excepted this and turned to walk away.

"Race ya to the fountain!" cried one of the young boys before he ran off. The four others sprinted away after him. Kurt sighed and smiled, running a hand through his hair. He moved closer to Willow and gave her a gentle hug. 

"I missed you," he said. 

"Missed you too," Willow said. 

"I came to see you every day, you know," said Kurt.

"You did?" asked Willow with a smile. Her cheeks turned a little pink.

"Ja," he said. "I vas so vorried. Ven did you vake up?" he asked.

"Twenty minutes ago, maybe," she said. 

"Are you sure zat you can valk around?" asked Kurt.

"I'll be okay," said Willow. In reality she was feeling a little lightheaded. She swayed a little on her feet. She steadied herself and sighed.

"Maybe ve should sit down?" he said slowly, watching her with concern.

"Yeah," said Willow, rubbing her forehead and chuckling. Kurt picked her up in one swift movement and carried her over to the chairs that she had grown so many weeks ago. She leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes and smiled. 

"I'm glad I was able to find _something_ that hasn't changed," she said. 

"Vat, ze children?" asked Kurt. Willow looked over at him with a 'guess-again' expression. "Ah," he said with a single nod, getting the picture. 

"Yeah," Willow said with a little laugh as she looked down into her lap. _That was smooth,_ she thought sarcastically. She sighed. "So many things are different here," she said softly. "I mean, I woke up, and I wasn't in my room, and my whole body hurt...well, it still hurts, actually. I went up to check out my room and see if my friends were all right, and there was someone else on my bed, and someone else's stuff in my dresser...they were all talking to her and laughing. It was like they'd replaced me, or something...I dunno," she said with a shake over head. She felt a little sad and empty. She looked up at him. "So many things have changed...people, places, smells...I don't even know how long I've been asleep." 

"Two veeks und two days," Kurt recited automatically. "And it's April ninth." Willow nodded. She watched the kids play across the yard near the fountain. They were pretending to be like Kurt, trying to do handstands and summersaults. She saw Storm smiling vaguely off to the side. She looked sad all of a sudden and looked away from the children. She went inside, and Willow could sense that something was not quiet right.

"So...what's happened? While I was asleep?" asked Willow.

"Vell, um...," Kurt stammered.

"What? What's the matter?" asked Willow.

"Vell, I...I don't know if _I_ should tell you zis, I don't know if I'm ze right person....," Kurt said, looking at her with ashamed puppy eyes.

"Tell me. What's wrong?" asked Willow.

"Villow...Dr. Grey has passed avay," he said slowly and gently.

"What?" Willow whispered, her heart skipping a beat. "How?"

"She vas saving us, and she didn't make it. She sacrificed herself...for us," Kurt said. Willow's heart crumbled in her chest. _No...Not Jean...Jean can't be dead,_ she thought frantically. She ran a shaking hand through her hair. 

"God," she whispered. "This is all my fault. If I could have just...held on longer, maybe she'd still be alive." A tear slid down her face, but she quickly brushed it away. Her lower lip trembled as she tried to hold her tears inside.

"No," said Kurt shaking his head. "You did vell. You did your best."

"Well maybe my best wasn't good enough," she said in a hoarse voice. "All my best did was get somebody killed."

"Zat's not true," Kurt said. Willow brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her bare toes around the edge of the chair. She put her forehead on her knees and cried. Kurt got up and kneeled by Willow. He put a hand below the base of her neck. "I know how hard zis is for you. I did not know Jean very vell, but I know how much she vas loved," he said softly. Willow sniffed loudly. "You know....death is only anozer stage in life. She is happier now, and cannot feel pain or sorrow. It is hard for ze people zat she has left behind, but I sink ve should be happy zat she lived such a good life. I sink ve should appreciate vat she has done for all of us."

"I do...but I'm going to miss her so much," Willow sobbed. She wiped her eyes angrily. "God, I hate crying."

"It's okay to cry," said Kurt. "It's alright to show your feelings."

"All it does is make me feel stupid and headachy," Willow said. Kurt didn't know what to say next. 

"I sink ve need to find something to help take your mind off sings for a vile," said Kurt. 

"I don't want to take my mind off it. Everything's different and I hate it," said Willow. "I just want things to be normal again."

"Sings change, Villow, and no one can stop zem from changing. You change, I change, ze children change. I know you don't like it, but zer is no vay to escape it," said Kurt, cocking his head to the side as he spoke to her. 

"I know," she said. 

"How about ze...vat did you call it? Ze Kurt and Villow movie night?" he asked.

"How can I watch movies when one of the most influential people in my life just _died_?" asked Willow, looking up at him with bloodshot eyes.

"I don't sink zat Dr. Grey vould have vanted us to stop living our lives because of her," Kurt said. "Come vis me. Ze Professor and Dr. McCoy vill vant to know zat you are avake."

"Who's Dr. McCoy?" asked Willow as she stood up. Kurt held her hand and wrapped his tail halfway around her waist in case she was to fall. 

"He is ze fellow zat helped you recover," said Kurt. They made their way inside and Kurt helped her to Xavier's office. He looked up upon their entry and smiled when he saw Willow on her feet and awake.

"Welcome back, Willow," he said.

"Thanks, Professor," said Willow. 

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"A little disoriented and achy, but I guess I'm alright," she said. 

"And...you know about Jean?" he asked.

"Yes," said Willow in a voice that was barely above a whisper. 

"It has been hard for all of us. Especially Scott and Logan," said Xavier. Willow nodded. Professor Xavier decided to change the subject before it got too uncomfortable. "I suppose you know that you now have your own room."

"Yes," said Willow. "But I sort of found out the hard way. I went upstairs to see if everyone was okay and there was someone else on my bed with their clothes in my dresser."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't have told you before. We got a new student the week after we got back. We had no where else to put her, so I thought that it would be best if you had a room to yourself. You are the oldest student here, after all, and you only have about a month more of school to complete. You're growing up rapidly, and I thought that it wouldn't be a bad thing if you had your own room," he said. 

"I see," Willow said. 

"Is that alright?" asked Xavier with a curious expression.

"It's fine. I'll just have to get used to it," said Willow. The Professor nodded.

"Good," he said. The door opened and Dr. McCoy stepped in. Willow had never seen him before, but was a little taken aback to see how tall he was. He grinned when he saw her. 

"My goodness, I didn't think that we would be seeing you for at least two more days, but here you are!" he said cheerfully. Willow couldn't help but smile at him. 

"Willow, this is Dr. Hank McCoy," said Xavier.

"Thank you for taking care of me," said Willow.

"No trouble at all! It was my pleasure," he said. "But now that you are awake, I think it would be best if you took it slow until the rest of your strength comes back. No heavy lifting or physically taxing tasks," he said.

"Alright," said Willow.

"Ve ver about to vatch a movie," Kurt said.

"An excellent, calm activity," Hank said with approval. 

"But I can, you know...take showers, right?" asked Willow.

"Of course you can!" said Hank. Willow smiled a little. 

"Well, I guess I'll talk to you later," she said.

"Sure thing," he said. Kurt and Willow left Professor Xavier's office and headed towards Willow's room. When they got inside, Willow began digging inside the drawers for some clean clothes.

"I have to take a shower before we do anything," said Willow.

"Do you vant me to vait in my room?" asked Kurt.

"You don't _have_ to...you could stay in here, I don't mind," said Willow. Kurt looked a little sheepish. "It's not like I'm going to come out naked, or anything." Kurt could feel his cheeks burn, and he hoped that there was no visible evidence. "I'll be out in twenty minutes, or so," she said.

"Alright," he said. He watched her go into the bathroom and shut the door before he sat down nervously on the edge of her bed. He twiddled his thumbs while he waited for her to come out, wondering the whole time if it was a sin to be there. 

Willow sighed with a heavy heart as she washed her green hair free of shampoo. She wanted to change with her environment, she really did. But it was easier said than done. She decided that if anything was going to be accomplished that she would have to take it one day at a time. Jean's death was also a crippling blow to Willow's emotional health. She tried to forget that she would never see her again. She tried to forget that she could no longer seek out Jean's help with girl stuff like periods and hormones and boys. She noticed that she was crying again. She turned off the water and dried off. She stepped out of the shower and got dressed as quickly as she could. She didn't want to keep Kurt waiting all by himself. She found her brush and hair dryer in the sink cabinet. She dried her hair, but not all the way. She made sure that her eyes were completely dry and white before she left the bathroom. She came out feeling relatively refreshed, but still upset. 

"Come on, let's go pick out some movies," said Willow. Kurt joined her as she headed for the door. They made for the living room, the one that Kyle always hung out in. He was strangely absent at the moment, which gave Kurt and Willow a chance to dig through the schools copious amounts of videos. Willow picked out three: _Moulin Rouge_,_ The Rocky Horror Picture Show_,and _The Princess Bride_. They headed back to Willow's room, since she had a TV/VCR, and Kurt only had a TV in his room. Willow insisted that they time it so that they watched _Rocky Horror_ at midnight. When Kurt asked why, Willow told him that everyone watches _Rocky Horror_ at midnight because 'that's just how it's done.' Willow laid on her stomach while Kurt sat on the edge of the bed. They only had to get up to get something from the kitchen twice.

They watched _Moulin Rogue_ first. Kurt loved it because of the singing, and the costumes reminded him a little of the bright, flashy circus costumes. Willow sang along with many of the songs. Both of them ended up crying in the end when Satine died. 

"I feel zis man's pain," he said, drying his eyes. 

"How so?" asked Willow.

"I felt just like zat…ven you ver laying zer, motionless in my arms," he said. "I sink I must have made a noise like zat too," he said. He looked a little embarrassed about it. 

"I didn't know that you cared about me that much...well, I knew you _cared_, but I didn't you you'd...you'd freak out if I died," Willow stammered clumsily. _You are the queen of smooth today, Willow,_ she thought to herself.

"Vell, you know...," he trailed off with a small nervous chuckle as he looked down at his folded hands in his lap. Willow thought she could see him blush a little.

"I'm flattered, though," she said with a smile. He smiled a little and looked down at her fondly with his amber eyes. He gently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear with the tip of his tail. She blushed and bit her lip. "I'll put in the next movie," she muttered as she got up. _I'm such a girl,_ Willow thought to herself with a grin.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

After about a week, Willow's strength was completely restored. She went back to classes and worked hard to catch up. She was, as always, constantly scrambling to get her homework done, being the horrible procrastinator she was. Her work habits seemed to be the only thing that was the same around the mansion. Storm had taken all of Jean's classes in addition to her own. She seemed all right for a while, but after a few weeks, Willow could see the bags beneath her eyes clearly. Willow felt as though Storm was not crying or acting unhappy for everyone else. She appreciated Storm wanting to stay strong for everyone, and it did seem to help, but she wished that she would show at least some emotion. She showed even less of her feelings than the Professor did.

Professor Xavier had been quiet for weeks and only talked to people if he was spoken to. It was strange to pass him in the hall and hear no greeting of any kind. Other than that, he did not show much of his despair. Many of the kids said that he wasn't grieving at all, but Willow knew how important Jean was to the Professor. She and Scott were two of his first students.

Scott stayed in his room for the most part. When he did come out, he wandered around, his head hanging and his feet dragging. Willow sometimes saw him staring out of an upstairs window. Sometimes he and Logan, who had come to tolerate each other quite easily, went out and did not come back until early in the morning. Willow was sure that they were drinking, but did not want to ask anyone about it. Scott and Logan seemed to be coping and making some progress, but Jackie was not. 

Jackie had become antisocial, and would not talk too much of anyone. Even Willow, who was her best friend. Willow had tried several times to talk to her, but Jackie usually did not respond. She mostly just stared off into space. This made Willow incredibly sad, but she could not think of anything that could help Jackie. Nothing she said to her seemed to make any difference. It was no mystery why she was acting this way. John was gone. He had chosen the bad guys over Jackie, and she was having a hard time excepting it. Whenever she saw Willow and Kurt or Rogue and Bobby, she would always turn around and walk away. 

Kurt prayed more often, it seemed, but he always found time to be with Willow. Whenever he thought she looked unhappy or upset, he would always do something to make her feel better. He held her hand, or put his arm around her. There had yet to be any more intimate physical contact than that. They took walks and played games with the kids like hide and seek and the occasional game of tag. He had even gotten Willow to help him with a two person circus routine he used to do to entertain a particularly large throng of children. They loved it.

The children were the ones that seemed to be effected the worst by the events of the past. Willow knew they had nightmares. She herself had nightmares occasionally, but she assumed by the way that some of them woke up screaming that their dreams were far worse than Willow's.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

  
It was nearly twelve o' clock on a Thursday night in early May, and the light could still be seen on beneath the crack under Willow's door. A few minutes ago, she was working on an essay, but now she was sleeping on it. Her pen was still held loosely in her hand, and her brow was still furrowed in concentration. She was having a good dream that involved Kurt, when a muffled shriek from the floor above scared her back into consciousness. Willow sat bolt upright, wide awake, and listened for more. She dropped the pen she was still holding and ran out of her room and upstairs. Her heart was pounding. It's not every night you are roused by the frightened scream of a small child. 

She hurried down the hallway that was directly above her room and listened for another sound. When she got closer to the wing of the house where the younger children lived, she heard the whimpering cry from behind one of the doors. She knocked twice lightly before turning the knob and peeking inside.

"What's the matter?" asked Willow. She heard the distressed sniffles of someone inside the darkness. She flipped on the light and saw a little girl, Heidi, sitting straight up in bed, her face chalk white and glistening with sweat and tears. Her roommates were looking from Heidi to Willow with frightened expressions.

"What happened?" asked Willow.

"Nightmare...," Heidi stammered. 

"Aww," Willow said quietly as she went over and sat on the edge of Heide's bed. "What about?" Heidi shook her head in fear. "Sometimes if you talk about it, it can make you less afraid," Willow told her. Heidi bit her lip and looked up at Willow with big brown eyes that were watery with tears. 

"They came back," she whispered. 

"Who came back?" asked Willow. "Oh! The men who attacked the house?" Heidi nodded slowly. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. We're all safe."

"How do you know?" asked Heidi.

"Because. The Professor is here, and so are all the teachers," said Willow simply.

"But what if...what if they _weren't_ here?" she asked.

"Then...I'd protect you," Willow told her. Heidi looked as if she was thinking about this. 

"But...but what if _you_ weren't here either?" she asked. Willow thought about this. The child's distressed eyes seemed to be boring straight into her heart.

"I'll always be here," Willow said softly. "And if anyone lays a finger on any of you guys ever again, I'll kick their butts into next week." This last statement caused some nervous giggles. 

"What if I get scared again?" Heidi asked Willow.

"Then...you can come find me, and I'll stay with you until you're not scared anymore," Willow said slowly. 

"Really?" asked Heidi.

"Sure," Willow said with a shrug and a warm smile. Heidi smiled weakly.

"Okay," she said. 

"Okay?" Willow asked, making sure she was all right. Heidi nodded. "Are you guys gonna be alright up here?" They all nodded. "Alright. You know where my room is, right?" A few hesitated, but then nodded again. "Okay, well...you guys have a good sleep, then...," she said as she got up and headed for the door. The four small girls got back under their covers before Willow gave them one last quick smile. She turned off the light and shut the door gently. She went back downstairs and into her room. She looked at the clock and groaned. It was twelve eleven, and still her essay needed finishing. She sat down, picked up her pen off the rug and scribbled down the conclusion. That done, she threw on her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed. She turned off the lamp and got comfortable under the covers. 

Not ten minutes later, Willow was brought out of her sleepy daze by the sound of her door creaking open. She looked up and saw several small silhouettes moving across the room. One of them closed the door just before Willow turned on the light. The four of them grinned nervously at Willow. 

"What's the matter?" asked Willow.

"We can't sleep," said Susan, who was maybe a year older than Heidi. She had red hair and pale blue eyes. 

"But it's only been twenty minutes," Willow said with a little amusement. 

"Can we stay here with you?" asked Lillian, who was very thin and gangling with curly brown hair and hazel eyes augmented by her coke bottle glasses. 

"I dunno, guys...," said Willow reluctantly. 

"Please?" asked Faye, a little Korean girl with enormous brown eyes. Willow sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. She wanted to get to sleep so that she could stay awake during class the next day, but she finally gave in. _I can't really say no..._, she thought helplessly. 

"Eh, come'er," she said, holding the blanket up for them. They climbed into the queen sized bed (which now felt much smaller) and snuggled against Willow. Willow sighed helplessly, knowing that she wasn't going to be able to sleep a wink while sandwiched between four small, squirmy children. She was glad to know that she could provide some comfort for them, even if she was going to be robbed of her precious beauty sleep. She turned off the light and tried her best to sleep without knocking any of them off the side. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Willow woke up the next morning completely alone. The blankets were askew and the door was left wide open. _Maybe they didn't stay the whole night_, she thought to herself as she looked at the clock. It was nearly time to go to Art. She jumped out of bed, shut the open door, and threw some clothes on. 

"Why do you insist on doing this to yourself, Willow?" she asked herself as she struggled with getting her foot through one of her pant legs. "I mean, _come on_. Every day?" She brushed her hair and teeth and shoved some sandals on her feet. She collected her school supplies, stuffed them in her backpack, and ran out the door. She entered the art room just as the bell rang. Storm greeted her with a disapproving look.

"Close, Willow," she said in a warning voice.

"I know," Willow panted as she sat down next to Bobby. Storm gave them another free day, the third on in a row that week. Willow could tell that Storm was not doing well despite her collected, strong veneer. Jean's comment about Willow teaching had been rolling over and over in her mind for the past month. She thought of it every time the temperature in the room dramatically fluctuated from the tempest that was raging behind Storm's placid appearance. Willow decided that she would have to talk to Storm about teaching sooner or later. Preferably sooner. 

The bell rang an hour later, and the students filed out of the room. Willow stuffed all her art materials in her bag and sighed. _Today's the day. Just ask her about it,_ she thought to herself. Willow approached a particularly flustered looking Ororo Munroe.

"Um...Storm?" asked Willow.

"Yes, Willow?" Storm asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about maybe taking some of your classes for you," said Willow slowly.

"It's a very nice offer, but I'm afraid that-," Storm began.

"I get done with school in a few weeks, so it won't mess with my grades at all, and I want to help out. You seem really stressed and overwhelmed," Willow said. Storm looked reluctant, but sighed and smiled a little.

"I won't lie to you, I have felt a little...overworked," Storm said hesitantly. "That's a horrible thing to say...It's just that it's hard teaching twice the classes. I really wouldn't mind the help..."

"I want to help. I'm the only one who hasn't contributed. I hate feeling like a slacker. I feel like that enough in school," said Willow.

"Alright," sighed Storm. "If you really want to, I won't say no. Just as long as you can be a teacher more than a friend. They are your students, and you are the teacher."

"I think I can do that," Willow said.

"Before you make any definite decisions, however, I do want you to talk to the Professor about it," Storm told her firmly.

"Okay," Willow said seriously with a nod. 

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

****

Uh oh…the next chapter is the LAST ONE!!! What will happen? Will Willow be granted a teaching role? Will Jackie snap out of her catatonic stupor? Will the plot finally have some REAL MUSH???? Find out in the Grand Finale of _Weeping Willow!_


	16. Ch 16

****

*-*-* Weeping Willow *-*-*

*-* Chapter Sixteen *-*

__

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."

~ Mother Theresa

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Willow finished the school day and went directly to Professor Xavier's office to talk to him about becoming a teacher. When she reached the door, she tapped on it timidly with a single knuckle. 

"Come in," Xavier called. Willow turned the knob and poked her head inside. She smiled briefly at the Professor. "Hello, Willow. What can I do for you?" Willow stepped inside the office and closed the door gently behind her.

"Hi, Professor. I've been thinking for a while that...maybe I should start teaching. I mean, Jean said that it could be an option rather than me hitting the road again, which I'm not to thrilled about doing-"

"You don't have to go anywhere if you don't want to," Xavier said kindly. "Please, sit down." Willow sat in the chair by his desk. There was quite a long pause in which Willow looked uncomfortably out the window while picking some dirt out from under her fingernail. Xavier examined his student's face for a moment before breaking the silence. "Willow, are you afraid that I'll throw you out?"

"Er...yes. Very much so," said Willow, focusing her attention on the Professor rather than the birds flitting in and out of the bushes outside.

"Don't be. I would never let one of my students out into the world if they had no where to go," said the Professor. Willow sighed and chuckled.

"Well that's good," she said with a grin. "But...even if I do stay, I wouldn't wanna just hang around and not do anything. That's one of the reasons I'd like to start teaching." 

"What are the other reasons?" asked Xavier.

"Well, um...Storm just seems...a little bogged down, to say the least. I hate to see her so tired, you know?" Willow explained to him.

"I understand. I would be more than happy to let you teach. But to teach others, you must have the knowledge yourself. What was it you had your eyes on?" he asked her.

"Jean's classes," Willow said automatically.

"I thought you might say that. I know that you can be a very good artist when the occasion calls for it, but how learned are you in music?" asked Xavier.

"Not very. I can barely read music," said Willow reluctantly. She didn't really want him to know that she wasn't listening to Jean as much as she should have been in class. 

"Perhaps you should start another subject? Like a gardening course, for example," Xavier said.

"Could I? I know lots of stuff about plants," Willow said eagerly. 

"I'm sure we could arrange something," he said. "But before any of this begins, I want you to keep doing well in school."

"I will," said Willow.

"No more tardiness. It's an extremely bad habit," said Xavier in a stern tone. Willow winced.

"Okay," she agreed. _Why does he have to be able to read minds?_ She wondered.

"I also don't want you to rush things. This is a big step, and I only want you to do this when you're ready," said Xavier.

"Alright," said Willow. 

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" asked Xavier.

"Whaddya mean?" asked Willow.

"Will you be alright teaching one of Jean's classes? I know that you were close to her...," he said slowly.

"I think I'll be okay," said Willow.

"Alright," said Xavier. "You can start teaching next semester in September if you're ready. Remember, you have to be able to come up with a lesson plan and you have to be able to have authority over the students," he said.

"I'll think of something," she assured him.

"Alright. If you need any help, I'll be here," he said.

"Thanks," Willow said. "I'll get to work on it right away. See you later, Professor."

"Bye, Willow," said Xavier with a tender smile. Willow picked up her backpack, flung it over her shoulder and exited his office, running straight into the solid mass that was Dr. Hank McCoy.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she cried. Hank chuckled and held up a hand.

"It's fine," he told her. "So how are you as of late?"

"I'm alright. I could be better emotionally and mentally, but physically, I'm just fine," she said.

"Does it bother you still?" asked Hank. "The death of Miss Grey?"

"It really does. She was one of those people who you think is gonna be around forever. You think she's always gonna be there to talk to...then when she's not, it hurts that much worse," Willow said softly. "I didn't think she would die...that she _could_ die. As far as I was concerned, she was invincible. Guess I was wrong," she said sadly with a shrug. Tears were welling up in her eyes again, and she would have liked nothing more than to run away and hide.

"I understand you perfectly," said Hank with a slow nod. Willow sighed sadly but then looked up at him with a forced smile.

"Well, it was nice chatting with you, Dr. McCoy, but I have homework coming out of my ears," she said.

"Alright. I'll talk to you later, then," he said. Willow nodded once to him, and they headed on their separate ways. Her stomach gave a painful growl. It was time for a snack. She headed into the kitchen and stopped dead in her tracks. Scott was sitting on one of the stools at the island counter clutching a soda can. Willow did not know what to say at first. 

"Hey, Scott," she said gingerly. He did not look up. "How's it...er..." he glanced up at her, and she could tell it was a glare even with his red sunglasses on. "Right..," she said with a sigh as he looked back down. "Um...you wanna talk about...anything?"

"No," he sighed. 

"Sure?" asked Willow timidly. "'Cause I can be a good listener." Willow didn't think he was going to answer. "Alright, well, I was just grabbing a pop tart," she said hastily as she opened the pantry door and plucked out a packet of pop tarts. She made for the door but stopped when she heard Scott speak.

"Why'd you let it go?" asked Scott, his voice cracking and shaky. Willow's heart sank. He was talking about the dam. Not only that, he was blaming it on her.

"I tried to hold it, Scott. I really did," she said softly.

"Did you?" he asked, his voice becoming louder with anger. Willow was getting a little scared. 

"Of course!" she said. "I wanted nothing more than to save all of you. But I couldn't. And I'm sorry."

"Sorry won't bring her back," he said, his voice trembling terribly. His lips twitched violently as he tried to suppress the sobs. His words ripped at Willow's heart. 

"I know, but...it's all I can do. All I can do for you is to apologize," Willow told him. He could not hold back his tears any longer. He buried his face in his hands to hide the tears. 

"I wish she'd come home...," he sobbed. He coughed a few times. 

"I know," said Willow softly. Scott stared at her lividly, his whole body trembling.

"You can't know!" he snapped. "You can't know what it's like to lose the one you love because he's still here!"

"You think I don't know about loss?" said Willow angrily. "I know all there is to know about being left behind. I know first hand because my mother was murdered, and I did less to save her than I did to save Jean. Do _not_ tell me I don't know about death." He shook with ashamed sobs.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, sinking down to the tabletop and resting his face on his folded arms. Willow sighed, and looked down at her sandaled feet. She looked up at him again.

"Did she...get some sort of grave stone or...or anything?" asked Willow.

"Not yet," Scott said with a resentful stone. "She deserves one..." As Willow watched him cry, started to have an idea.

"'Course she does. Would you like her to have something like it?" asked Willow. Scott nodded, though he did not lift his head from his arms. "Come outside with me," she told him softly. He looked up at her, his eyebrows showing his confusion. She approached him carefully and took his hand to lead him outside. He got up and they went out the back door to a clear spot in the vast yard that people barely ever used. "Want to help me grow something for her?" she asked.

"I don't know," Scott said helplessly. 

"Come on. What was her favorite flower or tree?" asked Willow. Scott stayed silent for a moment.

"She liked plum trees," he said.

"White, red, black, or flowering?" asked Willow. Scott chuckled a little at her, but it quickly turned into a painful cough. 

"The ones with the pink flowers," he said.

"That would be flowering," said Willow with a nod. "Anything else?"

"She liked lavender too," said Scott.

"I remember smelling lavender in your room after the field trip," said Willow softly with a smile.

"That was the little scented nightlight in the bathroom," he said in a hoarse voice, a fresh wave of tears leaking out of his sunglasses. "It doesn't smell like that anymore...I don't know how to replace the smelly thing...," he said miserably. "And soon the smell of her shampoo won't be on her pillow either, and that's when I'll know that she's never coming home," he sobbed. Willow bore a sympathetic expression. He seemed to be half the man he used to be without Jean. 

"Well, here, I've got an idea for this thing. It's going to be my biggest work yet, and it'll be the prettiest, and best of all, it'll be for Jean, inspired by you," said Willow. "So what I wanna do is grow like, five flowering plums. I've never done that many, but I'm going to try anyway. So, yeah, there'll be four of them in a square, right?" she said, making a box with her fingers, "and one will be out on it's own. Then, under the four trees that are grouped in a box, there'll be lavender, a _lot_ of it. It'll make this kinda pathway thing to the tree that's on it's own. Then at the base of the tree that the lavender leads up to, you can put a gravestone," said Willow. Scott looked a little confused.

"I'm not sure if I follow you," he said slowly.

"Trust me, it'll be beautiful," said Willow. "I've got it all planned out in my head." Willow turned towards the section of lawn she was going to use. She closed her eyes and focussed. When she opened them, they were glowing. She turned to Scott. "If I pass out, can you put me in my bedroom?"

"Sure," Scott said. 

"Thanks," said Willow. She dropped to her knees and sat on her calves, facing the vacant field. Finally, when she felt that she had gathered enough energy, she brought her hands slowly above her head. As she did, five trees began to grow out of the ground. They were so far away from each other at first that Scott became skeptical about what the finished product might look like. However, as the tree's trunks thickened, it became clear that they were spaced correctly. Branches grew out of the trunks and smaller branches separated from the larger ones. All five trees grew their dark purple leaves at once. Willow pictured the cherry blossoms in her head before casting her arms out towards the trees. Tiny pink flowers bloomed everywhere. Scott had never really seen Willow grow much of anything up until that point. The sight of trees bursting into bloom in mere seconds made his mouth hang slightly ajar. Willow's breathing sounded as if she had run on a treadmill for a half an hour. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead, but she did not stop. A few of the flowers dropped their petals and little red plums rapidly took their places. When she was finished with the trees, she put both hands on the ground. When she brought them upwards, lavender came with them. She then made like she was pushing them away from her. Thousands of lavender plants made their way around the bases of the trees, creating the path of grass down the middle that Willow wanted. Then, like dominoes, starting with the plants nearest her and ending with those that were furthest away, each lavender plant blossomed, exposing extremely fragrant purple flowers. Willow's hands dropped from the air before she fell onto the grass in a dead faint. Scott looked down at Willow, then at what she had just created. The late spring breeze made the cherry blossom petals descend into the carpet of swaying lavender below. Just as Willow had promised, the creation really was beautiful. Just like Jean. 

The newly added trees had drawn a small crowd of students that had stopped their games to come watch. One of the kids looked alarmed.

"She's not dead, is she Mr. Summers?" she whimpered.

"No," said Scott, kneeling down and taking Willow into his arms. "She's just tired."

"Did she make that for you?" asked another.

"Nope," he said with a shadow of a grin. "She made it for Jean."

"I miss Mrs. Grey," said a little boy sadly.

"Me too," said Scott. "But now we can come out here and remember her." Scott walked away from the children to put Willow to bed. The wind caught the scent of the lavender and blew it towards him. He inhaled with closed eyes and sighed. _I'll never forget you, Jean_, he thought sadly. He had a great deal of difficulty getting the back door open with Willow in his arms, but somehow he managed it. He made his way towards her room. Luckily the door was left open a crack so he could simply push it open. He laid her down in her bed. And sighed. _Thank you Willow,_ he thought before leaving her alone. He closed the door gently and left her to sleep.

Willow awoke only an hour later, fully refreshed. She looked at the clock on her bedside table and groaned. She had tons of homework to do, and she had lost a good hour. She was so frustrated that she exited her room and crossed the hall to Kurt's room to see what he was up to. She could hear his TV on inside. She tapped on the door and heard him jump off his bed with a _thump_. He opened the door a crack and peeked out to see who had disturbed him. His face lit up when he saw Willow standing there and he opened the door wider.

"Hi," said Willow with a smile.

"Guten tag," he said brightly. "How vas class?" he asked.

"It was alright," she said. 

"Have you got homework?" asked Kurt.

"You sound like my mom," Willow said with a small laugh.

"Vell, do you?" he asked.

"_Yes_, I have homework," she said with a sigh. "And I'll do it later."

"You must be serious about your studies," Kurt scolded her.

"I am. Just not at the moment," she said. "What's on the tube?" she asked looking around him. 

"_Robin Hood Men in Tights_. It's very funny," Kurt said. 

"Can I watch it with you?" asked Willow.

"Not until you get your homework done," Kurt said, shutting the door in her face. Willow's mouth dropped open. A laugh of disbelief escaped her.

"Fine then!" she cried. She was about to walk away when Kurt appeared before her in a cloud of blue, curling smoke. He swept her off her feet and teleported inside his room. He looked down at her and grinned.

"You didn't sink I vas serious, did you?" he asked.

"For a second I did," she said with a giggle. "Now put me down." 

"Nope!" he cried, springing onto the bed and jumping on it with her. She screamed. 

"Let me go, you big blue elf!" she cried. Kurt laughed at her and stopped jumping. He set her down on his bed and sat down beside her. 

"You're far too easy to antagonize," he said. 

"Yeah, well you'd better watch it," she said in a tough voice. They watched the movie for a little while, chuckling at the funny parts and enjoying each other's company. It made Willow a little sad for Scott. She shifted her position so that she was laying on her stomach. She leaned her head against Kurt's outter thigh and smiled up at him. He smiled back and they both focused their attention back on the movie. Kurt eventually followed Willow's example and moved so that he too was laying on his stomach. When the credits began to roll, he sighed and rolled over on his side to face her. He played a little with the hair that was perpetually hanging in front of her right eye with a grin. Willow giggled and heart fluttered as she looked into his amber eyes. A moment later, he gently took her hand and ran a dark blue thumb over her earthy green skin. She smiled a little sheepishly and looked away from him for a second. She turned back and saw that he was just watching her fondly. She leaned a little closer to him, and his eyes widened as he studied her face nervously. _Vat's she doing? Is she going to kiss me?_ He wondered frantically. _Vat should I do? _He found himself leaning a little bit towards her until their noses were nearly touching. Kurt watched as Willow's head turned slowly to the side a little. _What am I doing?_ Wondered Willow. _I hope this works..._ Kurt's heart skipped a beat as she leaned a bit closer. Their lips touched for a brief moment. Willow jerked away, a little ashamed. Kurt gasped a little and released her hand in surprise at her sudden quick movement.

"Sorry," she said, her cheeks blushing deeply and her eyes glowing green. _I hope I didn't just ruin everything..._

"No, it's okay," he said softly. Kurt honestly didn't mind at all. She looked over at him again nervously. It was a little more hesitant this time, their faces inching towards each other in a jerky fashion. Kurt grinned with his pointed teeth and chuckled nervously at this. Willow bit her lip a little as they moved closer. Their lips touched again, but this time, it was an actual kiss. It held for nearly ten seconds. They broke apart for a split second before green and blue met again. Kurt touched the side of Willow's face with his palm and moved it back until his fingers were in her soft hair. _Mein Gott en Himmel! I sink I love zis girl!_ Kurt thought happily. Willow's eyes glowed brighter beneath her mostly closed eyelids. 

They broke apart, each chuckling nervously about what had just occurred. Kurt smiled with all his teeth, something he usually only did around Willow, and hugged her tightly and kissed her again briefly before resuming his overjoyed smiling. Willow giggled at him and grinned too as the glow in her eyes faded. 

"I'm so glad I met you," Kurt said quietly.

"Me too. I mean, you know, that I met you too, not that I'm glad that you met me...," she babbled. She blushed and chuckled. "Sorry," she muttered. "I'm such a spaz."

"Not really," Kurt said. "At least I don't sink so." Willow smiled at this, but didn't know what else she should say. An uncomfortable silence followed.

"So what's a well to do Catholic fellow like yourself see in a girl like me anyway?" she asked to break the silence. Kurt looked as if he were thinking hard about the question. Then he smiled.

"Everything," he said with a shrug. Willow giggled a little before leaning in and kissing him again.

Although Willow was fully aware that many obstacles were in the future for them, it was at least a little comforting to know that they would face them together. 

****

Fin.

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A/N: So whaddya think? Please review on you over all thoughts of the story, I like to know what parts people liked best and what parts might need a little work. See next page for thank you's!


	17. Ch 17

**Special Thankses and Whatnot**

**Thank you, A&A Editing for all your help and for being honest. Your the bestest best editors I've ever had. It would have sucked without you guys.**

**Thanks you, fan base, you really made my month with your fantastic reviews. I'm so happy that you guys took the time out of your days to read my story and to stick with it.**

THE SEQUEL IS NOW AVAILABLE!

Look for the latest X-Men installment based on the third movie: "Bleeding Hearts"


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